Manhattan University Athletics

Riverdale, NY - Manhattan softball held Wagner to just one run in two games on Sunday, March 25 as the Jaspers completed a sweep of the Seahawks at Gaelic Park.

Manhattan won the first game of the doubleheader 2-0 behind strong pitching from senior Briana Matazinsky (Valley Falls, NY / Tamarac), who pitched a complete game and let up just six hits on her way to a shutout. 

Celebrating her birthday, junior Kat Prevo (San Diego, CA / Our Lady of Peace) earned the first RBI for the Jaspers in game one, batting in freshman Gabriella Fredette (Hackensack, NJ / Immaculate Conception) in the bottom of the third to put Manhattan up 1-0. The Jaspers would hold the one-run lead until the bottom of the fifth, when junior Lauren Pitney (Ansonia, CT / St. Joseph's) reached on a fielder's choice to score teammate Shannon Puthe (Mullica Hill, NJ / Saint Joseph's), putting Manhattan up 2-0.

Supported by a tough Manhattan defense, Matazinsky faced just six batters in the next two innings, giving up no hits in six at bats and sealing the win. She is now 4-4 from the mound on the season. 

Manhattan opened scoring in the second inning of the second game when junior Alexa Dawid (Milford, CT / Laurelton Hall) singled to center field, batting in Matazinsky and nearly collecting a second RBI, but teammate Emma Kindblom (Wilbraham, MA / Wilbraham & Monson Academy) was called out at the plate. 

In the fifth, Puthe scored on a wild pitch to put the Jaspers up 2-0, followed by a single to left field from freshman Adriana Gambino (Stamford, CT / Westhill) that scored Pitney. Though Wagner was able to grab one unearned run in the sixth, Manhattan put the icing on the cake with a sixth inning single down the left field line from Dawid that drove in a run. The Jaspers took the game 4-1.

Starting pitcher Kayla McDermott (Garnerville, NY / North Rockland) earned the second win of the day, going 5.1 innings and giving up just three hits, while striking out two. She's now 3-1 this season. Nicole Williams (Ansonia, CT / St. Joseph's) pitched in relief for Manhattan, earning her first save of the year. 

Christine Gebhardt (Middletown, NJ / Middletown North) led Manhattan with a .400 batting average over the two games. She went 2-5 with two walks for an on-base percentage of .571. In the field at first base, she also tallied 22 put outs in the doubleheader. 

Up Next:
Manhattan takes the field at Gaelic again on Wednesday, March 28 against Sacred Heart in a doubleheader starting at 3 p.m.