Manhattan Nabs Opening Day Win

Madeira Beach, FL - The Manhattan bats were on fire Friday as the Jaspers earned a 13-2 opening day win over Detroit Mercy at the 2019 Madeira Beach Invitational. Manhattan compiled 10 hits in six innings of play, and earned five runs in the top of the sixth to cement the victory. 

The Jaspers are now 1-1 on the year after losing to Georgetown in an eight-inning 8-7 heartbreaker earlier in the day. 

Game 1: vs. Georgetown

• Annie Moore (Northridge, CA / El Camino Real) and Daniela Chiorazzi (Stony Point, NY / North Rockland) combined for four RBI against the Hoyas, including a home run for each. 
• In her 17th start, pitcher Kayla McDermott (Garnerville, NY / North Rockland) went four innings, facing 19 batters and letting up three runs. 
• Moore, in her first collegiate at bat, singled to center field for the Jaspers' first run of the game, getting Manhattan going with a 1-0 start in the first.
• Fellow freshman Jessie Rising (Little Egg Harbor, NJ / Pinelands) also secured an RBI in her first at bat, giving the Jaspers a 2-0 advantage in the second. 
• Moore's homer in the third put Manhattan at 3-2 on the Hoyas, followed by a single from Adriana Gambino (Stamford, CT / Westhill) that gave the Jaspers a two-run advantage. Chiorazzi's homer an inning later put Manhattan up 6-2. 
• After two walks by McDermott to open the fifth inning, Stephanie Kristo (San Jose, CA / Archbishop Mitty) came to the mound in relief, but snagged the third walk of the inning to load the bases. A passed ball would give the Hoyas their first of a five-run scoring windfall, putting Georgetown up 7-6 going into the bottom of the sixth. 
• Senior Lauren Pitney (Ansonia, CT / St. Joseph's) homered in the sixth to tie the game. The home run was Pitney's 20th of her career, leaving her alone in fifth on the Jaspers' all-time list. 
• After both teams went scoreless in the seventh, Georgetown opened the eighth with a runner placed at second. Kelly Amen advanced to third on a ground out to the pitcher, ultimately scoring from the base on a SAC fly to right field by the next batter. The Jaspers were unable to respond on the bottom of the inning.
• Rising, who entered for Kristo in the sixth, faced 11 batters in 2.2 innings, letting up two runs and striking out one. She was tagged with the loss. 

Game 2 vs. Detroit Mercy

• Though the Jaspers continued the fire power at the plate in the second game, Manhattan had to overcome an early 2-0 lead by the Titans to secure the win. 
• A bunt by junior transfer Morgan Sgarlata (Oneida, NY / Herkimer County CC) put the Jaspers on the board in the second. It was all Manhattan following that. 
• Pitney finished the game with four RBI, followed by two each from Gambino and Christine Gebhardt (Middletown, NJ / Middletown North). Pitney also walked three times in the game, compiling a perfect 1.000 on-base percentage.
• Rising, in her first collegiate start, pitched all six innings for Manhattan, letting up just five hits and striking out two in 23 batters faced. She's now 1-1 on the year from the pitcher's circle.
• After game two, Gambino had a team-leading five hits for the young season, earning a batting average of .650 for the first two games. 

Up Next:
The Jaspers continue their Madeira Beach journey Saturday, facing North Florida at 1:30 p.m. and Colgate at 4:00 p.m.