Game One Box Score
Game Two Box Score
NEW ROCHELLE, N.Y. ? Ashley Rampino (Manalapan, N.J.) had quite an afternoon at Rice Oval Field on Saturday. Rampino drove in seven runs and earned a save to lead the Manhattan College softball team (17-23, 9-3 MAAC) to a sweep of Iona in a Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference (MAAC) doubleheader. Her pinch hit grand slam was the difference in Manhattan's 8-5 game one victory, and the Lady Jaspers claimed the nightcap by a 10-2 margin.
In game one, Manhattan struck first on Rampino's two-run single in the third inning. The Gaels tied the game with a pair of runs in the bottom of the second before the Lady Jaspers went back in front with a two-run fifth. Melissa Donnelly (Long Beach, N.J.) got the rally started with a double, then a pair of Iona errors and a passed ball resulted in two unearned runs.
Iona put up a three-spot in the bottom of the sixth to take the lead. After the first two batters of the inning singled, a throwing error on a sacrifice bunt led to the Gaels' first run of the inning. Pinch hitter Kassondra Silva hit a sacrifice fly to tie the game, then Melanie Hay knocked in the go-ahead run on a groundout.
A pair of Iona errors put the first two Manhattan hitters on base to start the seventh, then Erika Sullivan (Bay Shore, N.Y.) beat out an infield single to load the bases with one out. Rampino, who had started the game in the circle before coming out in the sixth, re-entered as a pinch hitter and delivered a no-doubt-about-it blast to left field. Rampino went back in the circle in the bottom of the seventh and gave up a pair of singles before getting Courtney Christie looking to seal the victory.
Rampino had all six of Manhattan's RBIs in game one, as she went 2-for-4 at the plate. Kristina Walraven (Thompson Ridge, N.Y.) went 3-for-4 and scored three runs, while Donnelly also scored three times. Overall, Manhattan had eight hits in game one.
Rampino also pitched the first five innings, as well as the seventh. In six innings, she gave up two runs and nine hits, struck out eight and walked one. Despite being the starting pitcher in the game, she earned the save, her second of the season. Sullivan (5-8) pitched the sixth inning and was the pitcher of record when Rampino hit her grand slam, thus earning the win.
Iona had 11 hits in game one, led by Erin Kyle's 4-for-4 effort. Kayla O'Neill and Alyssa James each went 2-for-4 at the plate, while James also scored a run. The Gaels left seven runners on base in game one. Sarah Jackson (8-9) went the distance in the circle and gave up eight runs (two hits) on eight hits while striking out 10 and walking only one.
In game two, the Gaels took a 1-0 lead on James's solo home run in the bottom of the second. Manhattan responded immediately, however, pulling in front with a two-run third. Walraven led off the inning with a single and moved to second on Sullivan's sacrifice bunt. Rampino followed with a single to left-center for her seventh RBI of the day. After Danielle Just (Woodcliff Lake, N.J.) and Kelly Murray (Leominster, Mass.) singled to load the bases, Melissa Cascio (Kings Park, N.Y.) drew a walk to give the Lady Jaspers a 2-1 edge.
It remained 2-1 until the bottom of the fifth, when the Gaels used a pair of doubles to tie the game. In the top of the sixth, Amanda Genovese (Bethany, Conn.) reached on an error to start the inning. Donnelly followed with a two-run blast to left that put Manhattan back in front, 4-2. The home run opened the floodgates, as Manhattan put up an eight-spot in the inning to take a 10-2 advantage. After Walraven singled, Sullivan reached on an error and Rampino walked to load the bases. Just flied to right for the first out of the inning, but Nicole Michel (Massapequa, N.Y.), Murray, Cascio, Genovese and Donnelly followed with five consecutive RBI singles before Iona got out of the inning with a double play.
Donnelly gave up a hit and a walk, but didn't allow a run to score in the bottom of the sixth, and the game was called after six innings because of the eight-run mercy rule. The win was Manhattan's sixth straight and ninth in the last 10 games.
As a team, Manhattan had 30 at-bats and 13 hits in game two. Murray went 3-for-3, while Walraven, Michel and Donnelly each had two hits. Walraven also scored twice. She was 5-for-9 with five runs scored in the twinbill. Cascio drove in two runs. Donnelly, who had three RBIs at the plate, went the distance in the circle. She yielded two runs and five hits while striking out four and walking two to improve to 5-8 on the season.
Iona's five hits in game two were scattered among five different players. James went 1-for-3 with a solo home run, while Hay was 1-for-1 with an RBI. Only three of the 10 runs surrendered by Deanne Algeo were earned, as the Gaels committed four errors behind her. Algeo (3-10) pitched all six innings, giving up 13 hits and walking four while striking out one.
The Lady Jaspers need just one win in their final four regular season games to clinch a place in the MAAC Tournament. Manhattan returns to action next Saturday, May 2, when Rider (13-29, 5-5 MAAC) comes to Gaelic Park for a 12 p.m. doubleheader. The twinbill, which is Manhattan's final home doubleheader of the season, will be webcast live at www.gojaspers.com as a part of the JasperVision package. It will also be Senior Day, as seniors Genovese, Just, Kara Cokeley (Pearl River, N.Y.) and Devon Gustafson (Mesa, Ariz.) will be honored prior to the first game.
