Madeira Beach, FL - Annie Moore (Northridge, CA / El Camino Real) hit a two-run walk-off homer to lift the Jaspers over Cornell in Manhattan softball's first game on Sunday. Moore went 3-4 in the game with four RBI, adding a double to her performance.
Manhattan 5, Cornell 3
Not only did Moore finish the game for the Jaspers, but she also opened scoring, hitting a double through the right side in the third that put the Jaspers up 2-0. Later in the same inning,
Kaitlyn Flood (Southbury, CT / Pomperaug) hit a sacrifice fly to score Moore and extend the Jasper lead to 3-0.
Starting pitcher
Nicole Williams (Ansonia, CT / St. Joseph's) held the Bears at bay into the seventh inning, striking out five of 25 batters faced. But Williams opened the seventh with two walks, followed by a single from Cornell's Hanna Crist that loaded the bases. The next batter reached on a fielder's choice, with the Jaspers able to snag an out at second, but a runner scored, making it 3-1. Another single from the following batter drove in the second run and put two runners on with just one out.
Jessie Rising (Little Egg Harbor, NY / Pinelands) came into the game in relief, letting up another single that loaded the bases. Cornell's Erin Rockstroh then reached on another fielder's choice, driving in the runner from third and tying the game. Rising struck out the next batter to end the rally.
With last at bats in the bottom of the seventh, Moore stepped to the plate facing two outs and a runner on first. Not content with extra innings, she rocketed her homer to deep center field to win the game 5-3.
Rising earned the win to go 2-0 on the season.
UAlbany 7, Manhattan 6
In another down-to-the-wire battle,
Emma Kindblom (Wilbraham, MA / Wilbraham & Monson) quickly got the Jaspers on the board with a bunt to score Flood and give Manhattan a 1-0 lead in the top of the second against UAlbany. But the advantage was erased in the bottom of the inning, when the Great Danes' Kelly Barkevich homered off of starting pitcher
Kayla McDermott (Garnerville, NY / North Rockland) to tie the game.
In the top of the third,
Victoria Alonso (Stony Point, NY / North Rockland) earned her first triple of the season for an RBI, followed by a single from Flood that put Manhattan up 3-1. But Barkevich was at it again in the bottom of the inning, earning a sac fly to left field to bring the Great Danes within one.
UAlbany's Madison Petrella hit a two-run homer off McDermott in the fifth to give the Danes their first lead of the game at 4-3. McDermott forced the next batter to fly out to left field, before Barkevich doubled to right center, ending McDermott's day in the circle.
Kali Puppolo (Adams, MA / Herkimer CC) entered the game in relief and retired the first batter faced as Barkevich advanced to third. The next batter reached after being hit by a pitch, while the following batter reached on a fielding error to send Barevich home with an unearned run, giving UAlbany a 5-3 advantage. The Danes snagged two more runs in the bottom of the sixth before Rising entered the game, retiring two batters and striking out another to get the Jaspers out of the inning.
Needing four more runs to continue to the game, Moore opened the top of the seventh with a single to right field, followed by another from Gambino. Alonso advanced Moore to third on a fly out, then Flood reached on a fielding error, scoring Moore and pulling the Jaspers within three runs.
Kylie Carr (Andover, NJ / Immaculate Heart Academy) then entered the game to pinch hit for Kindblom, and she reached on a fielding error that put Flood and Gambino in scoring position.
Gabriella Mazzotta (Somers, NY / Somers) then singled to third base, scoring them both and making it 7-6 UAlbany. But the rally was capped as Gebhardt popped up to first base to end the game.
Up Next:
Manhattan will host Hartford in the Jaspers' home opener on Wednesday, March 4 at Gaelic Park. The doubleheader will kick-off at 1:00 pm.
