Manhattan University Athletics

Madeira Beach, FL - After going 0-3 to start the Madeira Beach Invitational, Manhattan softball finished the tournament with two consecutive wins, earning Head Coach Tom Pardalis, now in his ninth year, his 200th win with the Jaspers. 

Manhattan (2-3) opened Saturday, February 24 with a 6-2 loss to McNeese State, recently #24 in the country until this past week. McNeese (12-3) broke out to an early lead, scoring two runs in the bottom of the first inning. Down 4-0 in the fifth, Manhattan was able to cut the margin to two with two runs scored, but the Jaspers were ultimately unable to overcome the deficit. Senior pitcher Briana Matazinsky (Valley Falls, NY / Tamarac) was credited with the loss. 

Later in the day, the Jaspers rebounded against Rhode Island (1-8), beating the Rams 6-3. After falling behind 2-0 in the first, freshman Daniela Chiorazzi (Stony Point, NY / North Rockland) smashed a two-run homer in the bottom of the inning to tie the game. Manhattan let up another run in the second, but put together a huge comeback in the second half of the inning to go up 6-3: Freshman Adriana Gambino (Stamford, CT / Westhill) homered to tie, while senior Kat Prevo (San Diego, CA / Our Lady of Peace) later scored on a fielder's choice, and Chiorazzi earned two RBIs with a double to left field. She would record four RBIs for the game. Pitcher Nicole Williams (Asonia, CT / Saint Joseph's) took the win, with four strikeouts in six innings. 

On Sunday, Manhattan finished their time in Madeira Beach with a come-from-behind 8-7 win against Nicholls State (8-4). Down 7-3 to the Colonels, the Jaspers scored two runs in the fifth before tying the game up on a two-run home run by sophomore Christine Gebhardt (Middletown, NJ / Middletown North) in the sixth. Still tied at the end of seven innings, Manhattan and Nicholls headed into the eighth. 

In the eighth, the Jaspers threw out a Nicholls runner at home on a fielder's choice to keep the score tied. At bat in the bottom of the inning, Manhattan advanced a runner to third on a passed ball before Gebhardt hit a grounder to short to score the winning run, a walk-off victory, and Pardalis 200th win. Williams grabbed her second win of the season with three strikeouts in 3.2 innings pitched. Gebhardt finished the game with three RBIs in five at bats. 

Up Next:
Manhattan plays the first home contest of the season on March 6 at Gaelic Park. The Jaspers will take on Hartford in a doubleheader starting  at 1 p.m