Manhattan University Athletics

Madeira Beach, FL - Manhattan softball opened the 2020 season with a bang Friday, defeating Merrimack 14-1 before run-ruling South Dakota 10-2 in a five-inning contest. This is the first time since 2011 that the Jaspers have earned wins in the team's first two games.

Manhattan 14, Merrimack 1
Senior pitcher Kayla McDermott (Garnerville, NY / North Rockland) got Manhattan's first start in the circle of the 2020 season, going six innings and letting up just one run on four hits for the win. She was relived in the seventh by junior transfer Kali Puppolo (Adams, MA / Herkimer CC) who went one inning and struck out one of four batters faced in her first appearance for the Jaspers.

Locked in at 0-0 in the top of the fourth, Christine Gebhardt (Middletown, NJ / Middletown North) got the offense going for Manhattan, knocking an RBI triple to center field and sparking a 4-0 tear. The Jaspers showed overwhelming offense at the plate throughout the game, as both Adriana Gambino (Stamford, CT / Westhill) and Annie Moore (Northridge, CA / El Camino Real) would hit RBI triples in the game, while Gambino, Victoria Alonso (Stony Point, NY / North Rockland) and Emma Kindblom (Wilbraham, MA / Wilbraham & Monson Academy) would nab RBI doubles.  

Manhattan 10, South Dakota 2 (5 innings)
Jessie Rising (Little Egg Harbor, NJ / Pinelands) earned her first win of the season Saturday, going all five innings for the Jaspers, allowing seven hits and two runs. She struck out three and walked none in 21 at bats. 

At the plate, the Jasper offense was again on fire after going down 2-0 to the Coyotes over the first two innings. Gambino got things going for the Jaspers in the third, hitting an RBI single with the bases loaded to score Manhattan's first run of the game. In the next at bat, Kaitlyn Flood (Southbury, CT / Pomperaug) tied the game with a sacrifice fly to right field, scoring Gebhardt from third. 

Gabriella Mazzotta (Somers, NY / Somers) earned two RBI to spark an eight-run fourth inning, singling to left field to drive in runners on second and third and giving the Jaspers their first lead of the game at 4-2. Gebhardt then doubled to left center to send Mazzotta home. Two batters later, Gambino picked up another RBI on a double to center field, followed by a two-RBI single up the middle from Flood and later a two-RBI single from Rising, extending the Jasper lead to 10-2.

Needing just three outs in the top of the fifth to close out the game, Rising forced the first South Dakota batter to line out to left field, before striking out two of the next three batters.

Flood finished the game with a team-high three RBI, while Mazzotta went 3-3 with two RBI in the lead-off spot. 

Up Next:
Manhattan returns to the Madeira Beach fields Saturday against Colgate at 11:00 am. The Jaspers will then take on Georgetown at 1:30 pm.