EL PASO, TX – The Manhattan Jaspers softball team (0-2, 0-0 MAAC) fell to the Grizzles of the University of Montana and the Miners of UTEP by a score of 13-3 and 9-6, respectively, on Friday to open the Dr. Diana Natalicio Memorial Tournament presented by Holiday Inn West Sunland Park.
GAME 1
- The Jaspers opened up their 2025 campaign against the Montana Grizzles at the home of the UTEP Miners. Manhattan found itself in a jam after allowing one run, and the bases loaded before Ava Metzger struck out Montana's Stanfield, swinging to strand the bases loaded.
- After a Bella Cahueque sacrifice bunt moved freshman Brianna Estevez to second, Sophia Kiseloski sent a single through the right side to allow Estevez to score the Jaspers' first run of the new season and tie the game at one.
- Following a leadoff double from Michayla Rodriguez, the Jaspers took its first lead with a Victoria Diaz pinch-hit single up the middle to score Rodriguez.
- Kiseloski again added to her run-batted total with a single into left field to score Estevez again in the fifth inning.
GAME 2
- Facing the hosts in the UTEP Miners were the Jaspers in the third game of three to end Friday. Manhattan faced a steep deficit before taking advantage of Miners' errors, where Karissa Spring reached on an error by the right-fielder to allow Victoria Diaz to score the first run.
- After Villalobo's single to the left side, freshman Angelina Gencarelli followed up with a single into center-field to drive home a pair of Jaspers in Spring and Falotico to narrow UTEP's lead to four.
- Opening the seventh inning trailing by six, the Jaspers put forth a valiant effort in a comeback attempt that featured more defensive miscues for the Miners and Manhattan taking advantage.
- Bella Cahueque reached on an error by the second baseman, where Gencarelli scored after a hard-hit single back to the pitcher to open the inning.
- A second error by the Miners' second baseman allowed another two runs to come home off the heels of Michayla Rodriguez to narrow Manhattan's deficit to three before eventually falling short.
STATS AND NOTES
- Manhattan logged a trio of doubles from Estevez, Rodriguez, and Jamie Falotico at the front end of the doubleheader.
- Kiseloski tallied one double. Freshman center-fielder Angelina Gencarelli logged her first two collegiate RBIs against the Miners.
- Sophomore Karissa Spring logged a complete game and struck out five batters in the process while facing 34 batters.
Head Coach Bridget Hurlman: "Had a strong outing as an offense putting up 6 runs. Moving forward looking for both the pitching to have some more defendable outcomes and defensively being as clean as possible to be able to get the win."
NEXT UP:
Manhattan continues its stay in El Paso as it takes on the Miners of the University of Texas-El Paso on Saturday, February 15, for a doubleheader beginning at 2 p.m. The second contest will come 30 minutes after the conclusion of the opener.