GAME 2 BOXSCORE
Riverdale, NY (May 8, 2005)- Manhattan scored 11 unanswered runs to post a come-from-behind, 11-5 win over Siena in the first game of a MAAC double header at Gaelic Park, but could not manufacture a run in the second game, falling 1-0. The Lady Jaspers are now 22-23, 9-7 in MAAC play. Manhattan needed a Marist loss at Saint Peter's to secure the fourth and final MAAC playoff spot, and the Peahens came through with a 6-5, 9 inning win in the second game to advance the Lady Jaspers to the MAAC Tournament for the second straight year.
Siena tallied three runs in the first, and single runs in the third and fourth to take a 5-0 lead in the opener, and held the Manhattan bats hitless until the fourth inning.
In the fourth, Liz Strein led off the inning with bunt single to break up Tisha Salamino's perfect game, and came around to score on a double by Stefanie Gozdziewski. Jennifer McCracken followed with a RBI single to bring home Gozdziewski, before Candice Sheridan belted a two-run homer, the first of her collegiate career, to bring the Lady Jaspers within one, 5-4.
The Manhattan bats stayed red hot in the fifth, scoring five times on four hits, taking advantage of three Siena errors. Gozdziewski plated Kerry Cook with an RBI sacrifice fly to begin the scoring before McCracken drove home Strein with an RBI single. After a Sheridan walk, Kiera Fox connected on her MAAC leading 16th round tripper, scoring McCracken and Sheridan to give Manhattan a 9-5 lead.
The Lady Jaspers continued the hit parade in the sixth, as Cook scored on a Siena error, and Fox plated Gozdziewski with a single to provide the final margin of 11-5.
Kristin Gelsleichter earned her third win of the season with three innings of one-hit ball in relief.
In the second game, Siena scored the game's only run in the top of the first. Carrie Getz led off the game with a bunt single, and was sacrificed to second by Jen Griner. Getz advanced to third on a wild pitch, and came home to score on a Tara Campbell sacrifice fly.
Manhattan threatened in the second, as Fox smashed a one-out triple, but was stranded at third, again in the fourth, as McCracken reached second with one out, and once more in the sixth. In the sixth, Strein led off the inning with a bunt single, and advanced to second when McCracken singled with one out. A wild pitch put runners on second and third with two outs, before Siena pitched around Fox to load the bases. Unfortunately, the Lady Jaspers could not score the equalizer.
Gelsleichter went the distance for Manhattan, allowing just one run on three hits, but Campbell scattered five hits, allowing no runs with seven strikeouts to pick up her seventh win.
Manhattan must now wait to see if the Lady Jaspers will qualify for the MAAC playoffs for the second straight year.
