Buffalo, NY - No. 6 Manhattan claimed its first MAAC Softball Championship since 1999 with a 6-3 win over No. 2 Canisius at the Demske Sports Complex.
* Graduate student Nicole Williams (Ansonia, CT / St. Joseph's) led the way with her third-straight complete game victory over the MAAC Softball Championship en route to being named the tournament's Most Outstanding Performer.
* The Jaspers will next advance to the 2021 NCAA Softball Championship and will next find out their opponent during the NCAA selection show, which will air tomorrow, May 16 on ESPN2 at 9 p.m.

* Manhattan, which was hitless, through the first two innings, finally broke through in the third inning. Senior Victoria Alonso (Stony Point, NY / North Rockland) led off with a double down the left-field line, before coming in to score on classmate Emma Kindblom's (Wilbraham, MA / Wilbraham & Monson Academy) RBI double.
Emma Kindblom with the RBI Double to left field! ??
— Manhattan Softball (@JaspersSoftball) May 15, 2021
Jaspers take the early lead 1-0 in the Championship game#JasperNation pic.twitter.com/Q3ReQaHQ6i
* After Canisius battled back to tie the game, junior Annie Moore (Northridge, CA / El Camino Real) crushed a leadoff home run to start the fourth in reclaiming the lead for the Jaspers at 2-1.
CRUSHED IT!
— Manhattan Softball (@JaspersSoftball) May 15, 2021
Annie Moore solo home run in the top of the 4th off a 3-0 pitch. Her 5th of the year
Jaspers up 2-1#JasperNation pic.twitter.com/wUSzXIMwLW
* Manhattan added to its advantage with a single run in the fifth. Senior Jessie Rising (Little Egg Harbor, NJ / Highlands) led off with a double to center field, before advancing to third on a Kindblom sacrifice. Sophomore Lauren Rende (Ardsley, NY / Ardsley) followed with a double that bounced off the first base bag to plate Rising with the third Jasper run of the afternoon.
Staying focused & hustling through every play
— Manhattan Softball (@JaspersSoftball) May 15, 2021
Jaspers extend the lead to 3-1 with an RBI double by Lauren Rende in the top of the 5th#JasperNation pic.twitter.com/LkFj0rFm0R
* In the top of the sixth, the Green & White scored a single run with some two-out magic. Sophomore Gabriella Mazzotta (Somers, NY / Somers) reached via a two-out fielder's choice grounder, before stealing second. She then scored on an Alonso RBI single in stretching the lead out to 4-1.
????????
— Manhattan Softball (@JaspersSoftball) May 15, 2021
It's heating up in Buffalo!
Victoria Alonso with the RBI single takes Jaspers lead to 4-1 in the top of the 6th#JasperNation pic.twitter.com/w2mDzSU53e
* The Golden Griffins got two runs back in the bottom of the sixth, only to see the Jaspers get those two runs back in the top of the seventh with another two-out rally.
* Moore drew a two-out, four-pitch walk before sophomore Marika Deemer (Perrysburg, OH / Perrysburg) crushed two-run home run to plate pinch-runner Lily Fish (Manlius, NY / Fayetteville-Manlius) in stretch the lead back out to three at 6-3.
?? Goodbye
— Manhattan Softball (@JaspersSoftball) May 15, 2021
Marika Deemer drills the ball to left field with a two-run home run in the top of the 7th
Jaspers lead 6-3#JasperNation pic.twitter.com/cvAT008hc2
* In the bottom part of the frame, Williams promptly got the final three outs to ensure the best bus ride home from Western New York in program history.
?? Yes, please ??
— Manhattan Softball (@JaspersSoftball) May 15, 2021
Final play of the game ?? dog pile time!
Time to dance ???? @NCAAsoftball pic.twitter.com/7nV4k7j6rh
* Alonso, who was named to the MAAC All-Tournament Team, went 2-for-3 with a double, run and RBI to highlight an eight-hit attack, including five of the extra-base variety.
* Joining Alonso on the MAAC All-Tournament Team was Deemer, Kindblom and Moore.
* Williams struck out three while yielding three runs on eight hits and three walks over 7.0 innings in improving to 13-2.
That's how you end an inning with 2 runners on
— Manhattan Softball (@JaspersSoftball) May 15, 2021
Nicole Williams with her 2nd strikeout of the game & 109th of the season #JasperNation pic.twitter.com/c0H6NzkeKZ
* Williams on the win:
Coach P ?????????#JasperNation ?? pic.twitter.com/Vl5hkctlzu
— Manhattan Softball (@JaspersSoftball) May 15, 2021
* Head Coach Tom Pardalis on the victory:
Coach P ?????????#JasperNation ?? pic.twitter.com/Vl5hkctlzu
— Manhattan Softball (@JaspersSoftball) May 15, 2021