Staten Island, N.Y. (April 26, 2007)--Wagner College won its 10th and 11th games in a row this afternoon with two wins over the Lady Jaspers at Lower Athletic Field on the Seahawks' campus. Wagner took game one 5-0 behind a shutout from pitcher Morgan Miller, then won the nightcap 10-2, with four RBI coming from Ami Iwicki, and two each from Katie Stevens and Kate Eshelman.
Wagner did its damage in the third and fifth innings of game one off two different pitchers. In the third inning, Wagner scored twice without even putting the ball in play. Manhattan starter Kristin Gelsleichter retired the first two batters of the inning but then lost her control. After a two-out double, Gelsleichter hit three of the next four batters she faced. With Eshelman on second, Gelsleichter hit Stevens, then walked Andrea Lazzari to load the bases. Gelsleichter then plunked Victoria Batistelli and Jaclyn Vanore back-to-back to give the Seahawks a 2-0 lead.
That would be all the offense Miller would need as she limited Manhattan to just four hits, while striking out six and pitching a complete game to earn her 10th win of the season.
In the fifth inning, Wagner tacked on three more runs off Liz Pennino to provide the game's final margin.
Eshelman was the star in game two, pitching six innings, and going 1-2 with two RBI and three runs scored. Manhattan jumped out to a 2-0 lead in the nightcap, scoring twice in the second inning. With two outs in the inning, Kara Cokeley reached base on an error, then advanced to second on a single by second basemen Lyndzie Phillips. With a runner in scoring position, Liz Strein brought Cokeley home with a double to leftfield. With runners on second and third, a wild pitch by Eshelman allowed Phillips to score the second run of the inning.
Eshelman would settle down after that inning, allowing just five hits and no runs the rest the way as Wagner's offense pounded out 12 hits and plated 10 runs.
With the Seahawks trailing 2-1 in the third, a two-run homer by Eshelman off Gelsleichter gave Wagner a 3-2 lead.
Wagner tacked on a run in the fourth off Pennino, then scored twice in the fifth inning on a two-run single by Iwicki. Four more runs in the sixth inning by the Seahawks gave them a 10-2 lead, ending the game on the eight-run rule.
Manhattan returns to action this Saturday for senior day against Rider University, with the games taking place at Fordham University. Prior to the 11:00 a.m. start of game one, Manhattan's eight seniors will be honored.
