Manhattan Earns Historic Sweep at Canisius

Game One Box Score
Game Two Box Score

BUFFALO, NY – The Manhattan College softball team made program history on Saturday afternoon.  The Jaspers (18-10, 5-1 Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference) earned a 4-2 victory in the first game of a doubleheader at Canisius (13-22, 1-5 MAAC), then took the second game by a 3-1 count to complete their first-ever sweep of the Golden Griffins at the Demske Sports Complex.

In game one, the Jaspers struck immediately with a run in the top of the first.  Shannon Puthe (Mullica Hill, NJ) led off the contest with a single, stole second, moved to third on a groundout, and scored on Lauren Pitney's (Ansonia, CT) RBI single to right.  Jenn Vazquez (Fairfield, CT) followed with a double and Briana Matazinsky (Valley Falls, NY) was hit by a pitch to load the bases, but Canisius starter Madi Weathers retired Stephanie Reinhardt (Albany, NY) on a groundout to get out of the inning.  The Griffs then tied it in the bottom of the first when Denver Keller was hit by a pitch with the bases loaded.

Christine Gebhardt (Middletown, NJ) broke the tie with her first career home run, a solo shot to center field, in the top of the fifth.  Manhattan then added a pair of insurance tallies in the sixth.  After walks to Matazinsky, Victoria Ross (Bloomfield, NJ) and Puthe loaded the bases, Alexa Dawid (Milford, CT) ripped a base hit up the middle to drive in two and give the Jaspers a 4-1 lead.  A Keller home run leading off the bottom of the sixth brought Canisius within 4-2, but Matazinsky retired the last six batters she faced to close out the victory.

All seven Manhattan hits in the game came from the top five batters in the lineup.  Pitney finished 2-for-3 with an RBI, while Vazquez added two hits of her own.  Dawid went 1-for-4 with 2 RBIs, and Puthe ended up 1-for-3 with a run scored.  Gebhardt's home run accounted for the other Manhattan hit.  In the circle, Matazinsky (10-3) won her seventh straight decision after holding the Griffs to two runs (one earned) on four hits and a walk.  She also struck out four.

Keller and Cassie Ho collected all four Canisius hits.  They each went 2-for-2 at the plate, with Keller knocking in both runs.  Weathers (5-8) took the loss after yielding four runs on six hits, while issuing three walks and recording a strikeout in 5.2 innings.  Lauren Castro tossed 1.1 innings of scoreless relief, giving up one hit and three walks.

Canisius took a 1-0 lead on Ho's second-inning home run in game two, but Nicole Williams (Ansonia, CT) retired 12 straight Griffs after that.  Her offense finally got her a run in the fifth when Ross singled, stole second, and scored on a dropped fly ball in the outfield.

Pitney led off the top of the sixth with a walk, and Vazquez followed with a single to left.  After a passed ball moved the runners to second and third, Matazinsky knocked an RBI double to left, giving Manhattan the lead.  After a double play, the Jaspers added an insurance tally on a Canisius error.

Williams had her string of 12 consecutive outs snapped with a leadoff single in the bottom of the sixth, but the runner was left stranded at first.  Canisius put the tying run on base when Keller singled with two out in the seventh.  Williams got Moriah Harris on a popup, though, to close out the 3-1 victory and give the Jaspers their historic sweep.

Vazquez and Matazinsky each collected two hits in the contest, and Matazinsky also drove in a run.  Pitney and Ross both had a hit and scored a run, while Dawid added a single.  Williams (4-3) pitched a complete game.  She allowed one run on three hits, struck out 10 and walked one.

Ho's home run was one of just three Canisius hits off Williams.  The other two hits were singles by Keller and Gianna Degaltini.  Erika Mackie (5-10) tossed a complete game, giving up three runs (one earned) on seven hits with three strikeotus and a walk.