Game One Box Score
Game Two Box Score
HAMDEN, Conn. - Despite the offensive heroics of Melissa Donnelly (Long Beach, N.Y.), who had two home runs and six RBIs in the doubleheader, the Manhattan College softball team (8-13) suffered a pair of losses to Quinnipiac (15-13) on Sunday afternoon. After dropping the first game by a 5-2 margin, the Lady Jaspers rallied back from a 9-2 deficit to send the second contest into extra innings before falling, 10-9, to the Bobcats at QU Softball Field.
Quinnipiac took control of game one with a four-run third. The big blow in the inning was Jordan Paolucci's three-run homer. The Bobcats then got a leadoff home run from Ashley Heiberger in the fourth to increase their lead to 5-0.
After pulling within 5-2 on Donnelly's two-run homer in the top of the sixth, the Lady Jaspers rallied again in the seventh. Ashley Rampino (Manalapan, N.J.) got the rally started with a one-out single, then Kristina Walraven (Thompson Ridge, N.Y.) singled back to the pitcher. The runners moved to second and third when Monica Evangelista (Cedar Grove, N.J.) dropped down a sacrifice bunt. Jaci Rahey (West Milford, N.J.) then walked to load the bases, bringing the go-ahead run to the plate with two out. However, Quinnipiac secured the victory when Nicole Michel (Massapequa, N.Y.) popped up behind third base to end the game.
Walraven went 2-for-4 at the plate in game one, as Manhattan outhit Quinnipiac 7-4. Kate Bowen (Newtown, Conn.) got the start in the circle and lasted 3.2 innings. Bowen (2-1) gave up five runs (one earned) on four hits, struck out one and walked one. Rampino didn't surrender a hit in 2.1 innings of shutout relief.
Paolucci was 2-for-2 with a three-run homer for the Bobcats, while Alex Alba went 1-for-4 with a run scored and an RBI, and Heiberger ended the game 1-for-3 with a home run. Heather Schwartzburg (8-6) went the distance in the circle, allowing two runs on seven hits while striking out 11 and walking three.
Paolucci hit another three-run homer in the first inning of game two, but Manhattan got one back on Donnelly's solo shot leading off the second. She added an RBI double in the top of the third to pull the Lady Jaspers within 3-2. However, sloppy defense cost the Lady Jaspers in the bottom half of the third, as three Manhattan errors paved the way for a six-run Quinnipiac rally that extended the Bobcats' advantage to 9-2.
In the top of the fifth, the Lady Jaspers used a five-run rally of their own to get back in the game. Donnelly started the inning with a single and Rampino followed with a walk. After Bowen reached on a fielder's choice to load the bases, Jen Keller (Woodridge, N.J.) knocked in a pair of runs with a single down the middle. Keller moved to third on Walraven's RBI single, then scored on the back end of a double steal. With Walraven now on second, Evangelista delivered a single to the gap in right center that pulled Manhattan back within two, 9-7.
The Lady Jaspers threatened, but didn't score in the sixth. In the seventh, however, Manhattan rallied for two runs to tie the game. Walraven got things started with a one-out single, then Evangelista and Michel both walked to load the bases. Donnelly was up next, and she delivered a two-run single down the left field line that made it 9-9. Kelly Murray (Leominster, Mass.) then walked to load the bases before Bowen flied to center to end the inning. Quinnipiac managed just a one-out single from Paolucci in the bottom of the seventh, sending the contest into extra innings.
Unlike Manhattan's extra-inning contests during the Rebel Spring Games, the international tiebreaker (where a runner is placed on second base to start each half-inning) was not used on Sunday. After the Lady Jaspers went down in order in the top of the eighth, the Bobcats got back-to-back singles from Alex Murray and Jessica Amenda to open the bottom half of the inning. Christy Cabrera then singled to knock in Murray and give Quinnipiac a 10-9 victory.
Manhattan collected 13 hits in game two, and every starter reached base at least once. Donnelly finished a triple shy of the cycle, going 4-for-5 with four RBIs and a run scored. Walraven and Evangelista both had two hits, two runs scored and an RBI, while Keller drove in a pair. Donnelly started in the circle, but was done in by her defense, giving up five unearned runs (nine total) in three innings. Erika Sullivan (Bay Shore, N.Y.) (4-3) pitched the remaining 4.1 innings and took the loss. She gave up one run on seven hits and struck out three.
For the Bobcats, Paolucci went 2-for-3 with two runs scored and three RBIs, while Alba, Murray and Joelle Jacobsen also collected two hits apiece. Jacobsen also had two RBIs, and Jacqueline Ristow scored twice. Mina Duffy lasted five innings in the circle, surrendering four runs on nine hits, striking out six and walking six. Katie Alfiere allowed five runs on four hits and walked two over two innings of work, while Emily O'Keefe (3-5) earned the win after tossing a perfect eighth.
The Lady Jaspers return to action on Tuesday, when they host Columbia (7-14) for a 3 p.m. doubleheader. The twinbill was originally scheduled for Thursday at Gaelic Park, but was postponed due to inclement weather.
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