Manhattan-Colgate Box Score
Manhattan-Akron Box Score
KISSIMMEE, Fla. ? The Manhattan College softball team got an early wake-up call on Sunday. After playing twice in the late afternoon on Saturday, the Lady Jaspers were back on the field at 9 a.m. on Sunday for a matchup with Colgate on their second day of action at the Rebel Spring Games. The Lady Jaspers (2-6) dropped a 4-1 decision to the Raiders (6-4), then fell to Akron (10-9) by a 4-2 count in their second game of the day at the Osceola County Sports Complex.
Against Colgate, the Lady Jaspers took an early lead with an unearned run in the top of the first. Kristina Walraven (Thompson Ridge, N.Y.) hit a leadoff single, then moved to second on a throwing error. She was erased on a fielder's choice before Ashley Rampino (Manalapan, N.J.) walked to load the bases. A throwing error by Colgate shortstop Jennifer Ortega allowed Erika Sullivan (Bay Shore, N.Y.) to come home with the game's first run.
The Raiders tied the game with a run in the bottom of the second. Ashley Rowe roped a leadoff single down the left field line, was sacrificed over to second, moved to third on Meg Mylan's single, and scored on Amanda Eccleston's RBI groundout.
Rowe got another Colgate rally started when she walked leading off the fourth. Brittany Hanrahan came in to pinch run and immediately made an impact, as she beat the throw to second when Manhattan tried to retire the lead runner on a sacrifice bunt. With two runners on and nobody out, the Raiders used a sacrifice bunt and a sacrifice fly to take the lead. Colgate added a pair in the bottom of the fifth on Tiana Tyeskey's two-run homer.
Meanwhile, Colgate starter Michelle Hollebeke (3-2) allowed just four Lady Jaspers to reach base after her shaky first inning. Manhattan was held to just three hits, as Walraven added another single in the second and Amanda Berrios (Carteret, N.J.) roped a leadoff single in the top of the fifth.
Rampino (1-1) started in the circle and went the first 4.1 innings. She yielded four runs and six hits while striking out three and walking one. Sullivan pitched the final 1.2 innings, giving up one hit and striking out one.
Hollebeke went the distance for the Raiders, striking out one and walking four. Colgate finished with seven hits in the game, as Ortega went 2-for-3 with a double. Tyeskey and Eccleston each drove in a pair of runs.
Manhattan put together an early rally in the game against Akron, as Walraven walked and Melissa Donnelly (Long Beach, N.Y.) singled to give the Lady Jaspers two runners on with nobody out in the bottom of the first inning. However, Akron starter Heather Bauer got out of the jam when she struck out Rampino, then got Carla Velasquez (Miami, Fla.) to bounce into a fielder's choice before retiring Lyndzie Phillips (Indianapolis, Ind.) to end the inning.
The game moved into the third inning scoreless, when the Zips struck first with a pair of runs. Lisa McLean singled to get the rally started, then stole second. She moved to third on Amber Lowe's single and stole home to put Akron on the board. Lowe stole second on the back end of that double steal and advanced to third when the Lady Jaspers tried to retire McLean at the plate. She scored on a wild pitch to give the Zips a 2-0 lead.
Manhattan rallied for two runs in the bottom of the sixth to tie the game. With one out, Velasquez hit her first collegiate home run, a solo shot to left field. After Phillips popped to short, Kelly Murray (Leominster, Mass.) roped a double, then scored the tying run on Nicole Michel's (Massapequa, N.Y.) RBI single.
Akron immediately responded, putting two runs across in the top of the seventh. Monica Shorter led off the inning with a single, moved to second on a sacrifice bunt, went to third on a wild pitch and scored the go-ahead run on pinch hitter Cali Stratton's sacrifice fly to right. The Zips added an insurance run when Sarah Earley singled, stole second, then scored on McLean's RBI single.
The Lady Jaspers brought the tying run to the plate in the bottom of the seventh, but were unable to score the equalizer and fell by a 4-2 count.
Manhattan out-hit Akron 8-7, with Walraven and Velasquez each recording two hits. Donnelly (1-2) tossed all seven innings, giving up four runs and seven hits with four strikeouts and two walks.
McLean and Crystal Hernandez each had two hits for the Zips. McLean also had an RBI and scored a run. Bauer (6-3) went the distance in the circle, scattering eight hits and yielding just two runs while striking out eight and walking one.
After playing four games in their first 24 hours in Florida, the Lady Jaspers are scheduled to play at 9 a.m. again on Monday, when they take on Rhode Island (1-7). Manhattan also plays Army (3-12) at 1 p.m. on Monday.
