Softball Edged by Coastal Carolina, 4-3 in Eight Innings

Kennesaw, Ga. (March 16, 2008) ? The Lady Jaspers lost in extra innings to Coastal Carolina 4-3 in their last game of the Kennesaw State Tournament.  First baseman Melissa Cascio sparked Manhattan with a 2-3 performance driving in an RBI on the day.

After a solid win in their first game earlier, the Lady J's struggle to get their offense going.  Coastal Carolina was the first to score as they put up two runs in the top of the third inning.  After Manhattan was held scoreless for the first five innings, the sixth was when it struck.

The first two batters of the inning struck out, but Gianna Cirilli reached first base on a dropped third strike.  Devon Gustafson followed that at bat with a single and put Cirilli in scoring position.  Cascio drove him in her RBI as she singled in Cirilli, after she reached third on a wild pitch.  Nicole Michel tied the game up with a single down the right field line as they went into the seventh inning tied at 2.

But Coastal Carolina, put a run up in the top of the seventh and Manhattan needed one run to tie, two to win the game.  Kristina Walraven lead the inning off with a double as Melissa Donnelly laid down a sacrifice bunt to move Walraven over to third.  Lyndzie Phillips then hit a high fly ball that sacrificed Walraven in and tied up the ball game.  After Jaci Rahey was walked, Jaclyn Churilla pinched ran for Rahye and stole second.  She reached third on a fielding error, but was caught at home as they winning run.  Going into the extra innings, Coastal Carolina once again put a run up in the top of the eighth, but the Lady Jaspers could not answer as they fell.

Cascio also tallied eight put outs for Manhattan to go along with her impressive offensive numbers.  Walraven finished the game 2-4 as Donnelly tallied six assists on the day.  Donnelly went the distance in the game, pitching eight innings, giving up eight hits and three earned runs.