Baltimore, MD - Manhattan softball won two games on Sunday, defeating the University of Maryland Eastern Shore 11-7 and Morgan State 4-1 in a sweep on the Jaspers' final day of their two-day tournament in Baltimore.
Senior first baseman
Christine Gebhardt (Middletown, NJ / Middletown North) made a tear through the day, going 5-9 with three RBI and a home run.
Manhattan 11, UMES 7
The Jaspers used a nine-run third inning to come back from one-run down against UMES in game one of the day. Gebhardt sparked the rally with her homer, earning her second RBI of the game and tying it up at 2-2. Two batters later,
Annie Moore (Northridge, CA / El Camino Real) doubled to center field to drive in a run, giving the Jaspers a lead they would hold for the remainder of the contest. Later in the inning,
Gabriella Mazzotta (Somers, NY / Somers) and
Lauren Rende (Ardsley, NY / Ardsley) would both register RBI triples, before Moore would double again to make it 10-2 Jaspers.
Starting pitcher
Kayla McDermott (Garnerville, NY / North Rockland) retired three-straight batters in the bottom of the third to prolong Manhattan's eight-run lead. With the same score in the bottom of the fourth, however, UMES' Naysa Goodman homered with one on to cut the Jasper lead to six. Two innings later, the Hawks would put runners at first and second with two outs as
Marika Deemer (Perrsyburg, OH / Perrysburg) entered the game in relief for McDermott. Deemer walked her first batter faced to load the bases, then hit the next to drive in UMES' fifth run of the game. She then walked another batter to make it 10-6 Manhattan, before
Kali Puppolo (Adams, MA / Herkimer County CC) took over in the circle. She would walk one more as Manhattan's lead was cut to 10-7, but the Jasper defense got the final out of the inning at second base on a fielder's choice.
Manhattan would snag one more run in the top of the seventh, as Puppolo got the job done to close out the game in the bottom of the inning. She struck out the first batter faced, then forced a fly out to right center and pop up to first base for the final outs of the game. McDermott (2-1) earned the win for Manhattan in game one. She struck out six in the outing.
Manhattan, 4, Morgan State 1
Puppolo (1-2) picked up her first win of the year in game two, holding Morgan State to one run over four innings pitched. The third inning proved lucky again for the Jaspers, as well, when Moore got things going with a triple to right field that scored three and put Manhattan up 3-0. The next batter,
Kaitlyn Flood (Southbury, CT / Pomperaug) then singled to second base to score Moore, giving the Jaspers a comfortable 4-0 lead at the midway point.
Morgan State claimed its only run of the contest in the bottom of the fourth. Meike Turner singled to third base to load the bases for the Bears. Amy Pachecho then reached on a fielder's choice that allowed Manhattan to snag an out at third but scoring the runner from that bag. With the bases loaded and two outs, Puppolo forced Ashle Shanks to hit into a double play, ending the inning and quieting any potential Morgan State rally.
Nicole Williams (Ansonia, CT / St. Joseph's) took over in the circle in the bottom of the fifth. She went the next three innings, striking out three and letting up just one hit.
Up Next:
Manhattan will travel to New Britain, CT to face Central Connecticut State in a doubleheader starting at 1:00 pm on March 11.
