Game One Box Score
Game Two Box Score
RIVERDALE, N.Y. – For the third consecutive season, the Manhattan College softball team rallied for a dramatic walk-off victory in the second game of its “Senior Day” doubleheader at Gaelic Park. After dropping the first game 17-3, the Jaspers (19-23, 9-7 MAAC) came back from a 4-0 deficit to post an eight-inning, 5-4 triumph over Siena (16-24, 8-4 MAAC) in game two, keeping their hopes of qualifying for the Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference (MAAC) Tournament alive.
The Jaspers fell behind early in game two, as Alyssa Lancaster roped an RBI single in the top of the first. Siena then increased its advantage to 4-0 on Megan Volz's three-run homer in the top of the third.
Manhattan began its comeback effort in the bottom of the fifth. Anna Gallacher (New Fairfield, Conn.) led off the inning with a single to right, then Jocelin Whitmore (La Habra, Calif.) was hit by a pitch. Kate Bowen (Newtown, Conn.) followed with an RBI single that got the Jaspers on the board. After Elena Bowman (San Mateo, Calif.) was hit by a pitch to load the bases, Amanda Babcock (Haverstraw, N.Y.) lifted a sacrifice fly to right field, bringing Manhattan within 4-2.
Jen Keller (Woodridge, N.J.) singled leading off the bottom of the sixth, moved to second on Gallacher's sacrifice bunt, and took third on a Whitmore groundout. After Bowen drew a walk, Bowman belted an RBI single to left field. Babcock was up next, and she delivered a single to right field just over the outstretched glove of first baseman Paige Lloyd, allowing Bowen to come across with the tying run. Amanda Paxson (Cedar Grove, N.J.) then drew a walk to load the bases, but Andi Stallard (Katy, Texas) grounded out to end the inning.
After the Saints stranded a pair of runners in the top of the seventh, Manhattan went down 1-2-3 in the bottom half of the inning. On the final out of the Manhattan seventh, Siena second baseman Stephanie Viggiano collided with Gallacher at first base and had to be removed from the game. Her replacement, Mackenzie Cronin, ripped a single in the top of the eighth, putting two runners on with one out, but Bowen worked out of trouble by inducing a popup and a ground ball.
Whitmore walked leading off the bottom of the eighth, and she broke up a double play with a great takeout slide on Bowen's grounder to short. After Bowman grounded out, Mandy Ferro, who moved from left field to second base for the injured Viggiano, couldn't handle Babcock's grounder. Bowen turned for home, and the throw to the plate was late, giving the Jaspers a 5-4 walk-off victory.
Bowen finished 2-for-4 with two runs scored and an RBI while also tossing a complete game in the circle. She allowed four runs on six hits, struck out three and walked six in eight innings to improve to 9-7 on the season. Gallacher, meanwhile, went 2-for-3 with a run scored in her final home game, and Babcock was 1-for-4 with two RBIs.
Melanie Kalisse had two of Siena's six hits in the game, going 2-for-4 with two runs scored. Volz drove in three runs on her homer, while Lancaster was 1-for-4 with an RBI. Jessika-Jo Sandrini (11-7) tossed her second complete game of the day, giving up five runs (four earned), nine hits and five walks in 7.2 innings.
“I was very proud of the way we came back. That was tremendous,” Head Coach Tom Pardalis said. “We got knocked around pretty good in that first game, and we fell behind 4-0 (in game two), but we stuck in there and we came back. Now we've got a chance. We have an opportunity in front of us.”
Game one was all Siena from the start. The Saints strung together four straight two-out hits, including Kalesse's two-run triple, to score four runs in the top of the second, then put up another four-spot in the fourth. Lloyd belted a solo homer and Sandrini ripped a two-run double during the rally.
In the bottom of the fourth, Babcock started the inning with a double and Paxson followed by working a walk. After Stallard popped up and Sydney Weedon (Santa Ana, Calif.) struck out, Meghan McDevitt (Nutley, N.J.) got the Jaspers on the board with a long three-run homer to left field. However, the Saints kept pouring it on, scoring six times in the top of the sixth before sending Manhattan down in order in the bottom half of the inning to bring the contest to an early conclusion.
McDevitt had two of Manhattan's four hits in game one. She finished 2-for-2 with a run scored and three RBIs. Babcock went 1-for-3 with a run scored, while Bowen had the other Manhattan hit. Kelsi Redding (Tucson, Ariz.) (3-6) got the start in the circle and took the loss after giving up four runs on five hits and issuing one walk in two innings of work.
Every Siena starter had at least one hit, as the Saints collected 17 base knocks as a team. Ferro went 3-for-5 with two runs scored, while Volz was 3-for-4 with two runs scored and two RBIs. Viggiano and Lloyd both finished 2-for-4 with two runs scored and three RBIs, and Sandrini was 1-for-2 with two runs scored and two RBIs. Sandrini also got the start in the circle and earned the win after yielding three runs on four hits while striking out three and walking two.
Manhattan, which has completed its conference schedule, is currently tied with Niagara (14-26, 9-7 MAAC) for fifth place in the MAAC standings. However, the Purple Eagles own the tiebreaker by virtue of their sweep over the Jaspers last weekend. Manhattan and Niagara are in a mathematical tie with Iona (12-34, 8-6 MAAC), which plays Saint Peter's on Saturday. Siena still has doubleheaders against Canisius and Marist remaining on its schedule. The Jaspers can only qualify for the postseason if Iona loses at least one game to Saint Peter's and Siena wins no more than one of its remaining four contest.
The Jaspers have two non-conference twinbills remaining on the schedule. Manhattan visits Sacred Heart (22-26) for a doubleheader at 3 p.m. on Tuesday before returning to Connecticut for a 2:30 p.m. twinbill at future MAAC foe Quinnipiac (15-31) on Thursday.
