Late Rally Falls Short In Loss to Stony Brook

STONY BROOK, N.Y. - Trailing 4-2, the Manhattan College softball team put the tying run on second base with nobody out in the top of the seventh inning on Friday afternoon.  However, the Jaspers (3-5) were unable to push the run across, as the host Seawolves (9-13) held on for a 4-2 victory at University Field in the opening game of the Stony Brook Invitational.

Manhattan got on the board first with a tally in the top of the second.  Amanda Babcock (Haverstraw, N.Y.) was hit by a pitch leading off the inning and moved to second on a groundout.  After Andi Stallard (Katy, Texas) reached on an error, Babcock came across on Meghan McDevitt's (Nutley, N.J.) groundout.

However, the Seawolves countered with a pair in their half of the inning.  Lauren Kamachi started the rally with a one-out walk, and Olivia Mitun, Jessica Combs and Shayla Giosia all followed with singles to knock in two runs.  After Giosia's RBI base hit, Bria Green hit a ground ball to deep short.  Combs tried to score on the play, but was gunned down at home, ending the inning.

Stony Brook struck for another two-spot in the sixth.  Mitun started the inning with an infield single and moved to third on Giosia's double to center.  Green followed with a single to right that drove in Mitun.  She then turned for second to draw a throw, allowing Giosia to score.  Nicole Hagerty was up next, and she ripped a single to left that chased Manhattan starter Kelsi Redding (Tucson, Ariz.).  However, reliever Erin Hamm (Collegeville, Pa.) got out of the jam when she induced a popup and a foul out.

Down to their final three outs, the Jaspers, who had just two hits over the first six innings, strung together three straight singles in the top of the seventh.  Babcock started the rally with a base hit up the middle, then Amanda Paxson (Cedar Grove, N.J.) delivered a single through the left side.  Stallard followed with a single that was just fair down the left field line, driving in Babcock.  The Stony Brook left fielder misplayed the ball on Stallard's hit, moving the runners to second and third with nobody out.  That's where they would stay though, as Stony Brook hurler Christine Lucido recorded a pair of strikeouts before getting pinch hitter Mickayla Romero (Las Vegas, Nev.) to fly out, sealing a 4-2 victory for the Seawolves.

Babcock went 1-for-2 in the contest and scored both Manhattan runs.  Stallard and McDevitt each collected an RBI.  Redding (0-2) took the loss after yielding four runs on nine hits while striking out four and walking six over 5.1 innings.  Hamm retired both batters she faced in the sixth.

The Seawolves collected nine hits as a team, with Mitun, Combs and Giosia, the 9-1-2 hitters in the lineup, going a combined 6-for-10.  Mitun scored a pair of runs, while Giosia had an RBI and a run scored and Combs also drove in a run.  Jane Sallen (1-6) surrendered two runs (one earned) and five hits while striking out three over six-plus innings of work.  Lucido struck out two of the three batters she faced to earn the save.