Game One Box Score
Game Two Box Score
RIVERDALE, N.Y. - Nicole Michel's (Massapequa, N.Y.) third home run of the day (and second of the game) in the bottom of the seventh inning tied the game, then Ashley Rampino's (Manalapan, N.J.) bases loaded walk in the bottom of the eighth won it, as the Manhattan College softball team (17-19-1) overcame a 4-3 deficit to post a 6-5, eight-inning victory over Monmouth (23-15) in the second game of a doubleheader at Gaelic Park on Tuesday evening. The Hawks won the first game by a 7-5 count.
Michel's two-run blast in the bottom of the third had given the Lady Jaspers a 2-0 lead, but Monmouth's Kayla Weiser responded with a two-run homer of her own in the top of the fourth. Manhattan regained the lead with a run in the bottom of the fifth. Monica Evangelista (Cedar Grove, N.J.) started the inning with a double to center. She moved to third on a sacrifice bunt, then Jaci Rahey (West Milford, N.J.) drew a walk. With runners on first and third and one out, Rahey was replaced by pinch runner Michelle Roemer (Ardsley, N.Y.). Roemer immediately took off for second, and Evangelista broke for home on the throw to second. After Evangelista came across with the go-ahead run, Roemer was thrown out trying to also swipe third. Michel followed with a ground-rule double to right, but she was left stranded at second base.
However, the Hawks scored two runs in the top of the sixth to take the lead. After a single by Weiser and a Lex Ferrara double put runners on second and third with one out, Kate Kuzma lifted a sacrifice fly to right field that tied the game. Ferrara then scored on a wild pitch to put Monmouth in front, 4-3. Manhattan loaded the bases with two out in the bottom of the sixth, but Monmouth shortstop Tish Derer robbed Melissa Donnelly (Long Beach, N.Y.) of what would've been a game-tying RBI single to end the inning.
In the bottom of the seventh, Michel sent a one-out blast over the wall in left center to tie the game. Rampino followed with a single, and Kaitlin Rodriguez (Dumont, N.J.) was called upon to run for her. However, Rodriguez was thrown out trying to advance to third on Amanda Babcock's (Haverstraw, N.Y.) single to left. Amanda Berrios (Carteret, N.J.) then popped up to end the inning.
The Hawks immediately went back in front in the top of the eighth. Weiser started the inning with a single to right, her seventh hit of the doubleheader. She moved to second on a sacrifice bunt, then advanced to third on a passed ball. That extra base proved important, as it allowed her to score the go-ahead run on a single by Dara Palms.
Pinch hitter Kelly Murray (Leominster, Mass.) started Manhattan's game-winning rally with a single through the middle, then Kristina Walraven (Thompson Ridge, N.Y.) followed with a single. Evangelista sacrificed the runners over to second and third, then Donnelly walked to load the bases. Murray then scored the tying run on Rahey's single to left. After Michel struck out, Rampino drew a walk to give the Lady Jaspers a 6-5 victory. With the win, the Lady Jaspers improved to 4-1 this season in extra-inning games.
Michel finished a triple short of the cycle in game two, going 4-for-5 with three RBIs and two runs scored. Babcock was the only other Lady Jasper with more than one hit. She went 2-for-2 in the game. Overall, Manhattan belted out 11 hits. In addition to collecting the game-winning RBI, Rampino (5-6) was the winning pitcher. She yielded five runs (four earned) on eight hits, struck out three and walked three in a complete-game effort.
For Monmouth, Weiser went 3-for-4 with three runs and two RBIs in game two. Palms was 2-for-4 at the plate for the Hawks. Lauren Sulick tossed the first seven innings in the circle and gave up four runs on nine hits, struck out five and walked six. Game one winner Melissa Mehrer (14-7) pitched the eighth and took the loss. She surrendered two runs on two hits while striking out one and walking two in 0.2 innings.
After Monmouth took an early lead with a first-inning run in game one, the Lady Jaspers went in front with a two-spot in the bottom of the second. Michel started the inning with a solo shot to right center. Carla Velasquez (Miami, Fla.) and Jocelin Whitmore (La Habra, Calif.) notched back-to-back one-out singles, and Manhattan took the lead on Walraven's RBI single to center.
A Manhattan error led the four unearned runs in the top of the fourth, but the Lady Jaspers responded with three runs in the bottom half of the inning. Evangelista ripped a two-run single to make it a 6-4 game, then scored on Donnelly's RBI single down the left field line. However, Monmouth added an insurance tally on Weiser's RBI single in the top of the sixth, and Manhattan was unable to put a late rally together, giving the Hawks a 7-5 victory.
Walraven, Evangelista, Donnelly and Velasquez each had two of Manhattan's 11 hits in game one. Evangelista also scored a run and drove in two. Donnelly (2-8) lasted 5.1 innings in the circle and took the loss. She surrendered seven runs (three earned) and 10 hits while striking out four and walking three. Rampino tossed the final 1.2 innings, yielding a hit and a walk.
Weiser and Jessica Nicola went a combined 7-for-7 with four RBIs for the Hawks in game one. Weiser was 4-for-4 with two RBIs, while Nicola had a 3-for-3 game. She also scored twice and drove in a pair of runs. Christie Scherr also had a multi-hit game, going 2-for-3 with three runs scored and an RBI. Mehrer went the distance in the circle and earned the win. She gave up five runs on 11 hits, struck out six and walked one.
The Lady Jaspers return to action with a pair of Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference (MAAC) doubleheaders this weekend. Manhattan (3-5 MAAC) visits Rider (11-28-1, 4-6 MAAC) at 1 p.m. on Saturday, then heads to Jersey City for a 1 p.m. doubleheader against Saint Peter's (2-26, 0-10 MAAC) on Sunday.
To follow Manhattan Athletics on Twitter, go to twitter.com/GoJaspers or visit Manhattan's fan page on Facebook.
