Manhattan University Athletics

Lawrenceville, NJ - Manhattan softball's Lauren Pitney (Ansonia, CT / St. Joseph's) went 2-5 with three RBIs and two home runs on Friday, April 13 as Manhattan fell to the Rider Broncs in both games of the Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference (MAAC) doubleheader in Lawrenceville, NJ. With the losses, Manhattan falls to 14-18 on the season and 0-6 in the MAAC. Rider improves to 10-22, with a 3-5 conference record. 

Pitney combined for eight total bases in the two games, earning a slugging percentage of 1.600 and an on-base percentage of .571 for the afternoon. Teammate Kat Prevo (San Diego, CA / Our Lady of Peace) added some offense of her own in the two games, as well, going 3-6 with one RBI and a home run, her second of the season. Prevo tied Pitney's on-base percentage for the day, while totaling six total bases. 

Manhattan fell to Rider 8-1 in game one, getting into a hole early when Rider scored three runs in the bottom of the first inning. The Broncs grabbed two more runs in the third, one on a wild pitch and the other after Gabby Bram hit a double to center field, scoring Rachael Zeides, to make it 5-0 Rider. Victoria Alonso (Stony Point, NY / North Rockland) was able to put Manhattan on the board when she scored on a fielding error in the top of the sixth, but Rider's Keegan Zavodnik's three-run homer to left center in the bottom of the inning would halt the Jasper comeback. 

Starting pitcher Nicole Williams (Ansonia, CT / St. Joseph's) went 2.2 innings for the Jaspers, giving up five runs on four hits and striking out three. She was relieved in the third by Stephanie Kristo (San Jose, CA / Archbishop Mitty) who finished the game, giving up three runs on five hits and also striking out three.  

Pitney opened up game two with her first homer of the day, hitting the second pitch of the contest over the center field wall and giving Manhattan the early lead. The score would remain 1-0 until the fifth inning, as starting pitcher Briana Matazinsky (Valley Falls, NY / Tamarac) worked on a potential no-hitter against the Broncs. 

The Jaspers scored two runs in the top of the fifth, first on a sac fly from Victoria Ross (Bloomfield, NJ / Bloomfield) and then on a double from Shannon Puthe (Mullica Hill, NJ / Saint Joseph's) that scored Matazinsky. Pitney then homered again in the top of the sixth, this time with a runner on for two RBIs. The Jaspers led 5-0 going into the bottom of the inning. 

Matazinsky's no-no was broken up in the sixth when Rider's Payton Romines hit a triple down the left field line, driving in a run. Romines then scored from third on a wild pitch from Matazinsky, followed by a double from Kiera Swank.

With the score at 5-2, Manhattan's Kayla McDermott (Garnerville, NY / North Rockland) came in to pitch for Matazinsky. After letting up two more runs, McDermott got the Jaspers out of the inning with a one-run lead. 

Prevo homered to open the seventh, giving Manhattan a two-run cushion. But Rider's Debra Jones struck out the next three batters, ending Manhattan's attempt to extend the lead. 

In the bottom of the seventh, Matazinsky returned to the mound with two runners on and no outs. She struck out her first batter, but advanced the runners to second and third on a wild pitch. A ground out to short got Rider one run, cutting the Manhattan lead to 6-5 with two outs. The Broncs then tied the game at six all on a fielding error by Manhattan. 

Tied with two outs, Rider's Toni Nino advanced to second on a passed ball. She would prove to be the winning run, as the next batter, Melanie Wilkinson, doubled to left center, driving in the winning RBI. 

Matazinsky (5-7) went 5.2 innings, giving up four runs on just three hits and no walks in 21 batters faced. McDermott went one inning in relief, allowing three runs on two hits. 

Up Next:
Manhattan will head back to New Jersey on Saturday, April 14 to play Monmouth in a MAAC doubleheader starting at 12 p.m.