Washington, D.C. - Manhattan softball went 1-1 on the team's first day of the 2019 Colonial Classic, beating Cornell (0-7) before falling to host George Washington (16-3) later in the day.
The Jaspers are now 3-4 on the year.
Game 1 vs. Cornell
- The Jaspers overtook the Big Red 6-2 in the second meeting of the two teams this season (Manhattan defeated Cornell 11-9 in Madeira Beach, FL on February 24).
- Lauren Pitney (Ansonia, CT / St. Joseph's) opened scoring early, belting a home run, her second of the year, in her first at bat of the game.
- After the Big Red tied it up at 1-1 in the second, Manhattan put together a three-run fourth sparked by doubles from both Victoria Alonso (Stony Point, NY / North Rockland) and Jessie Rising (Little Egg Harbor, NJ / Pinelands).
- Rising would later single to right field, driving in another run and finishing with a game-high three RBI.
- Daniela Chiorazzi (Stony Point, NY / North Rockalnd) also snagged a double against Cornell in the bottom of the sixth. The Jaspers combined for eight hits in the game.
- Starting pitcher Stepahnie Kristo (San Jose, CA / Archbishop Mitty) put in 4.0 innings, letting up just four hits and striking out two, on her way to her second win of the season. Rising relieved Kristo to pitch 2.1 innings of her own, before Kayla McDermott (Garnerville, NY / North Rockland) finished the game to earn her second save of the year.
- Manhattan forced Cornell to leave 11 runners on base, compared to just four for the Jaspers.
Game 2 vs. George Washington
- Manhattan struggled offensively in the second game of the day, earning just one run off five hits against the Colonials, who took the game 10-1 in five innings.
- George Washington opened the game with five runs off starting pitcher McDermott in the bottom of the first. Kristo entered in relief in the second, but the Colonials put two more runs on the board in that inning.
- Kristo held George Washington to just one hit in the third, slowing the Colonials' offense and holding them scoreless in the inning.
- But George Washington roared back in the fourth with three more runs, putting the Colonials up 10-1.
- Junior Morgan Sgarlata (Oneida, NY / Herkimer County CC) singled to center field in the top of the fifth, advancing to second on a single by the next batter, Dominique Palagruto (Sewell, NJ / Washington Township). Pitney walked to load the bases for Annie Moore (Northridge, CA / El Camino Real), who singled to center field, scoring Sgarlata for the Jaspers' lone RBI.
- Moore went a team-best 2-3 for the match-up.
- Manhattan left six runners on base in the game, including three in the fifth, when the game was called due to the run-ahead rule.
Up Next:
Manhattan will face both teams again on Sunday, March 10. The Jaspers will play Cornell at 1:00 p.m., followed by a rematch with GW at 3:00 p.m. on ESPN+.
