Manhattan University Athletics

Madeira Beach, FL - Manhattan softball opens the 2019 season Friday, February 22 against Georgetown at the annual Madeira Beach Invitational. The Jaspers will see action in five games over three days in the Sunshine State, before ending the weekend stint against Cornell on Sunday.

Schedule
Friday, February 22 vs. Georgetown at 1:30 p.m.
Friday, February 22 vs. Detroit Mercy at 6:30 p.m.
Saturday, February 23 vs. UNF at 1:30 p.m.
Saturday, February 23 vs. Colgate at 4:00 p.m.
Sunday, February 24 vs. Cornell at 11:30 a.m.

Preseason Outlook
Manhattan returns 14 letterwinners from its 2018 squad, including 2019 Preseason All-MAAC selection Lauren Pitney (Ansonia, CT / St. Joseph's) and 2018 All-Rookie Team member Daniela Chiorazzi (Stony Point, NY / North Rockland). After going 28-25 overall last year and finishing in the final four at the 2018 MAAC Tournament, the Jaspers were picked to finish fourth in the league's preseason coaches poll.

Last Year at Madeira
After going 0-3 to start the Madeira Beach Invitational, Manhattan softball finished the tournament with two consecutive wins. The Jaspers beat Rhode Island 6-3 in a come-from-behind-victory, followed by a thrilling 8-7 extra-innings win against Nicholls State.

Powerful Pitney
Last month, Manhattan infielder Lauren Pitney (Ansonia, CT / St. Joseph's) was named to the Preseason All-MAAC Team for the second consecutive year. The senior slugger, who led the team in home runs last season, was a 2018 All-MAAC Second Team selection and a NFCA Northeast Region Third Team pick. One of the most dangerous batters in the league, Pitney led Manhattan in slugging percentage (.570) and on-base percentage (.505) last season, while ranking 10th in the MAAC with a .310 batting average. Her nine home runs ranked third in the league, while she scored 46 runs on the season, the second-best in the MAAC. During the year, Pitney ranked in the NCAA's top 20 for on-base percentage, and led the league with 51 walks on the year.

Veteran Pitching
Junior returner Nicole Williams (Ansonia, CT / St. Joseph's) leads a Manhattan pitching stable that includes upperclassmen Stephanie Kristo (San Jose, CA / Archbishop Mitty) and Kayla McDermott (Garnerville, NY / North Rockland), as well as newcomer Jessie Rising (Little Egg Harbor, NJ / Pinelands). Williams, who earned MAAC Pitcher of the Week honors twice last season, made 28 appearances on the mound for the Jaspers, including 21 starts, compiling 10 wins and one save. She earned a season ERA of 3.09 (13th in the MAAC) in 129 innings pitched and held opponents to a team-best .230 batting average (third in the MAAC) while tallying 105 strikeouts (fifth in the MAAC).

10th Season
The 2019 season marks the 10th year of Head Coach Tom Pardalis' coaching tenure at Manhattan. He earned his 200th win with the Jaspers last year in Madeira Beach, beating Nicholls State 8-7 in eight innings on February 25, 2018.

About Georgetown
The Hoyas (2-7) went 1-4 last weekend in the 2019 Boyd Gaming Rebel Classic in Las Vegas, where they defeated Utah Valley 7-6. Freshman Mae Forshey leads Georgetown offensively, registering a .400 batting average with 12 hits, three doubles and four RBIs. Sophomore Savannah Jones ranks second on the team, batting .346 with nine hits, a double and three triples.

Meet Detroit Mercy
The Titans sit at 3-6 on the year, with wins over Evansville, Purdue Fort Wayne and Butler. Sophomore Ellie Boteler leads the team in batting average, batting an impressive .389 so far on the season. Pitcher Liz Murphy is 1-3 on the season with a 3.05 ERA. She has tossed one complete game and has scattered nine earned runs over 20.2 innings, while also managing a save along the way.

Scouting North Florida
UNF opens the season at 4-4, with wins over Colgate, South Dakota State, Northern Iowa and the College of Charleston. Senior Dominica Cucuzza hit .684 (13-for-19) during the UNF Invitational, registering nine RBI, a double, triple, grand slam, three runs and a slugging percentage of 1.000.

Colgate Match-Up
The Raiders (1-3) are coming off their first win of the season, earning a 2-1 decision against Jacksonville. Nicole Rounsavill blasted a two-run homer and Kaitlyn Borruso and Jessica Hay combined to toss seven strong innings to lead Colgate to victory.

Rounding it Out with Cornell
Cornell will also be opening its season in Madeira Beach, playing the team's first game against Siena on February 22. The Big Red are coming off a 15-25 season a year ago. Six position starters are back, as are the Big Red's top two starting pitchers. The Jaspers will get a second look at Cornell on March 9 in Washington, D.C.