Game 1 Box Score
Game 2 Box Score
RIVERDALE, N.Y. - Elena Bowman (San Mateo, Calif.) sure felt at home in her first-ever game at Gaelic Park. She belted a pair of three-run homers to lead Manhattan (1-4) to a 12-2 rout of Hartford (3-8) in the first game of its home-opening doubleheader on Sunday. The Hawks rebounded to post a 1-0 victory in game two.
After a scoreless first, the Manhattan offense came alive in the second inning of game two. Hartford starter Kaitlyn Meade walked the bases loaded with one out, setting the stage for Emily Cutler's (Bloomingdale, N.J.) RBI single to center. Another run came across when Jocelin Whitmore (La Habra, Calif.) was hit by a pitch, then Kate Bowen (Newtown, Conn.) drove in a pair with a double to the gap in right center field. Bowman was up next, and she belted a long blast to straightaway center field that made it 7-0.
Hartford got two runs back in the top of the third. With the bases loaded, Peyton Fisher beat out a double play ball that would've ended the inning to get the Hawks on the board. Kate Wacyk followed with an RBI single before Bowen induced a Jackie Kelly popup.
Whitmore led off the bottom of the fourth with her first career home run, and Bowen followed with a single. Bowman then belted a double to right field that put runners on second and third with nobody out. Bowen was thrown out trying to score on a foul popup behind second base, but Manhattan did add another run when Amanda Babcock (Haverstraw, N.Y.) singled off pitcher Brittany Beebe's glove.
The Jaspers then tallied three in the sixth to bring the game to an early conclusion. Whitmore started the rally with a double to right center before moving to third on a Bowen single. Bowman followed with her second three-run homer of the contest, a shot to right field, giving the Jaspers a 12-2 victory.
The 1-6 hitters in the Manhattan lineup accounted for all 12 hits in game one, with Whitmore, Bowen and Bowman going a combined 8-for-9 with 10 RBIs and eight runs scored. Bowman was 3-for-3 with two homers, a double and six RBIs, while Bowen went 3-for-4 with two runs and two RBIs. Whitmore finished 2-for-2 with two RBIs and three runs scored, and Cutler also had two hits. Bowen (1-1) was excellent in the circle, allowing only one base runner outside of the Hawks' third-inning rally. She gave up two runs on two hits, struck out two and walked two in five innings. Kelsi Redding (Tucson, Ariz.) pitched the sixth, yielding one hit and recording a strikeout.
Andrews, Wacyk and Sawyer Fried collected the Hawks' three singles in the contest. Wacyk and Fisher each notched an RBI, while Melani Maxwell and Jenice Aloyo both scored a run. Meade (1-3) took the loss after surrendering seven runs on four hits and walking three in 1.1 innings. Beebe allowed five runs on eight hits over the final 3.2 innings.
In contrast, game two was a pitcher's duel between Amy Bright (Manlius, N.Y.) and Hartford's Zuzana Kudernatschova. The Hawks scored what would turn out to be the only run of the game on Margaret Betz's RBI single in the top of the second. Hartford threatened again in the third, but Andrews was thrown out trying to score from second on Chelsey Mooney's single, ending the inning.
The Jaspers didn't pick up a hit until the fifth, when Andi Stallard (Katy, Texas) lifted a one-out single. However, she was thrown out trying to extend it to a double. In bottom of the sixth, Cutler drew a leadoff walk and was bunted over to second, but was left stranded. Manhattan had one last chance when Meghan McDevitt (Nutley, N.J.) reached on an infield single with two down in the seventh. Stallard grounded to third, though, and the Jaspers fell 1-0.
Bright (0-1) suffered a tough-luck loss. She retired the last nine batters she faced after Mooney's third-inning single. Bright gave up just one run and three hits while striking out six and walking three in six innings of work. Erin Hamm (Collegeville, Pa.) finished up with a perfect seventh.
Andrews, Mooney and Betz recorded the three Hartford hits. Mooney also scored a run, while Betz had an RBI. Kudernatschova (1-4) surrendered only a pair of singles, struck out three and walked two in a complete game shutout.
"In the second game last week at Elon, I thought we hit the ball well through the lineup, and we carried it on through the first game today," Head Coach Tom Pardalis said. "In the second game, they threw a junk ball pitcher at us and we didn't make very good adjustments on her."
The Jaspers return to action on Wednesday, when they welcome St. John's (5-14-1) to Gaelic Park for a 2:30 p.m. doubleheader.
