Jaspers Begin MAAC Tourney Wednesday

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West Long Branch, NJ - Fifth-seeded Manhattan softball (26-23, 10-10 MAAC) will begin its quest for a MAAC Championship on Wednesday, May 9 in a 1:30 p.m. match-up vs. the #4 Iona Gaels (19-25, 11-9). The winner will take on #1 seeded Monmouth on Thursday in the double-elimination tournament. 

In the Jaspers' regular season doubleheader with the Gaels, Manhattan swept, winning game one 6-3 and game two 9-1 in five innings. Over those two games, freshman catcher Daniela Chiorazzi (Stony Point, NY / North Rockland) went 4-7 with six RBIs. She hit a two-RBI double in game one and a two-run homer in game two.

Junior Lauren Pitney (Ansonia, CT / St. Joseph's) went 2-3 with a slugging percentage of 1.667 in the Jaspers' previous meetings with Iona. Pitney, who currently ranks sixth in the country in walks per game (0.94), also earned four walks in the doubleheader, for a .857 on-base percentage. Pitney sits at 35th in all of NCAA Division 1 with a .508 on-base percentage for the season. 

In Manhattan's six trips to the MAAC Tournament  under Head Coach Tom Pardalis, the Jaspers are 1-4 vs. Iona and 6-12 overall. Of the other four teams in the playoffs (Monmouth, Fairfield, Siena, and Marist), Manhattan is 1-2 vs. Monmouth in the last six appearances, 2-1 against Siena, and 1-2 against Marist. The Jaspers have not played Fairfield in the tournament under Pardalis. 

Though 0-6 in opening games at the MAAC tournament, Manhattan will look to take advantage of its defensive strength against Iona. The team ranks 20th in the NCAA in double plays per game (.47), and also holds the lowest combined ERA in the league (2.95). In 129 innings pitched, senior Briana Matazinsky (Valley Falls, NY / Tamarac) holds the team's lowest ERA at 2.33 in 23 appearances. She's 10-9 on the season. 

Matazinsky also leads the Jaspers at the plate, hitting .340 for the season. Chiorazzi leads the team in RBIs at 29, while Pitney has hit the most homers, nine, this season. 

Fans can follow the game live on MAAC.tv or via live stats. Tickets for the MAAC Championships can also be purchased on the MAAC website.