Manhattan-Lafayette Box Score
Manhattan-Seton Hall Box Score
SOUTH ORANGE, N.J. - After five one-run defeats at the Rebel Spring Games, the Manhattan College softball team came into the Seton Hall Pirate Classic looking to snap a nine-game skid. The Lady Jaspers did just that with a 6-4 victory over Lafayette (1-15) on Friday. In its second contest of the day, Manhattan (4-10) dropped a 2-1 pitcher's duel to host Seton Hall (9-13) at Ivy Hill Park.
After leaving the bases loaded in the second, Lafayette struck for four runs in the top of the third. The inning started with an infield single, and the Leopards put another runner on after a failed pickoff attempt. Emily Noel then knocked a two-run single up the middle to put the Leopards in front. Lafayette again loaded the bases on a walk and a single, then Kerry Griffin was hit by a pitch to drive in another run. Jordan Parsons followed with a one-out RBI single before Kate Bowen (Newtown, Conn.) got Manhattan out of the inning.
The Lady Jaspers immediately responded with a pair of runs in the bottom half of the inning. Jen Keller (Woodridge, N.J.) got the rally started with a leadoff double. She then moved to third on a wild pitch and scored on Bowen's RBI single. Jaci Rahey (West Milford, N.J.) added an RBI double to trim Manhattan's deficit to 4-2. In the bottom of the fourth, a trio of walks loaded the bases with one out, and Monica Evangelista (Cedar Grove, N.J.) followed with a single to center that knotted the score at 4-4.
Manhattan then rallied to take the lead with two runs in the sixth. Amanda Babcock (Haverstraw, N.Y.) started the inning with a single up the middle, and she moved to second on Jocelin Whitmore's (La Habra, Calif.) sacrifice bunt. Evangelista then singled to left to put runners on the corners, and the Lady Jaspers took the lead when Babcock scored on a Bowen groundout. Erika Sullivan (Bay Shore, N.Y.) followed with an RBI double that gave Manhattan an insurance run, then she retired the Leopards in order in the seventh to finish off the 6-4 victory.
Evangelista went 2-for-3 with a run scored and two RBIs, while Rahey was 2-for-2 with an RBI. Bowen also drove in a pair of runs, and Babcock scored twice. Melissa Donnelly (Long Beach, N.Y.) got the start in the circle and lasted 2.1 innings. She gave up four runs (three earned) on three hits, struck out three and walked three. Bowen followed with 2.2 innings of shutout relief, while Sullivan (2-2) tossed two no-hit innings to earn the win.
For the Leopards, Gwen Turner finished 2-for-4 with a run scored, while Noel was 1-for-4 with a run scored and two RBIs. Melissa Robinson (1-5) took the loss after surrendering six runs on 10 hits with a pair of strikeouts and three walks in 5.2 innings.
In Manhattan's second game of the tournament, Seton Hall got on the board in the bottom of the second. Kirby Groves started the inning with a single up the middle, and the Pirates loaded the bases on a walk and another single. Hannah Hill then hit one back to the circle, but the only play was at first. She beat the throw for an infield single that drove in the game's first run. However, Ashley Rampino (Manalapan, N.J.) avoided further trouble with a strikeout, then an inning-ending groundout.
It looked like that run might hold up, though, as Hill faced the minimum through five. Manhattan's only base runners were Rampino and Donnelly, who had both walked before being thrown out on the bases. With two down in the top of the sixth, Evangelista broke up the no-hitter with a single to left. She stole second, then scored the tying run on an error.
The Pirates regained the lead on Marissa Muoio's solo homer in the bottom of the sixth, but Manhattan threatened again in the seventh, putting two runners on with two down. However, Kelly Murray (Leominster, Mass.) flied to center to end the game.
Rampino (1-6) suffered a tough-luck loss in the circle. She threw an effective six innings, yielding just two runs and five hits while striking out four and walking two.
Five different players had hits for Seton Hall. Hill was brilliant in the circle. She faced just three batters over the minimum, and allowed just one unearned run and one hit. Hill (3-8) struck out four and walked two. She also went 1-for-2 with an RBI at the plate.
The Lady Jaspers conclude round robin play on Saturday with a 9 a.m. matchup against Sacred Heart (8-7). At the end of the three-game round robin, the four teams will be seeded based on their record in the tournament. The No. 1 seed meets the No. 4 seed at 2 p.m., while the No. 2 and No. 3 seeds play at 4:30 p.m.
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