EDWARDSVILLE, Pa. – The Manhattanville College softball team made some more history on Saturday afternoon, as the Valiants completed the first perfect conference slate in MAC Freedom softball history with 8-5 and 11-2 (6 inn.) victories over Wilkes University at the Ralston Athletic Complex.
 
Manhattanville (26-10, 14-0 MAC Freedom) became the first team since the MAC split into Freedom and Commonwealth sides in 2001 to go undefeated in conference play. Four teams had previously ended the MAC Freedom slate with 13-1 records, the last two times being Manhattanville in 2016 and 2014.
 
Game 1: Manhattanville 8, Wilkes 5
 
Manhattanville had to come back in the first game of the day, scoring eight of the game's final nine runs after spotting Wilkes a four-run lead to pull out an 8-5 win.
 
Sophomore Evonne Torres (Hacienda Heights, Calif./Pioneer) had a big game, going 3 for 4 with a pair of runs batted in, while classmate Sophia Chapelone (Carlsbad, Calif./La Costa Canyon) also was a key from the top of the lineup with two hits, two RBIs and a run scored.
 
After two scoreless innings, Wilkes broke through with four runs in the bottom of the third. Three straight RBI singles from Caitlin Brown, Haley Welker and Gracen Staunton as well as a wild pitch drove home the runs, which put the visitors in a hole.
 
But Manhattanville responded quickly, scoring three times in the third and three more times in the fourth to take back the lead. Senior Dolores Diemicke (North Massapequa, N.Y./Plainedge) led off the third with a solo homer to get the Valiants on the board, followed later by an RBI groundout from freshman Melina Strano (Brewster, N.Y./Brewster) and a bases-loaded walk to sophomore Desiree Buboi (Villa Park, Calif./Orange Lutheran).
 
After Staunton got one run back for Wilkes in the bottom half, Chapelone delivered a clutch two-run, two-out single to tie the game and Torres followed with a go-ahead RBI single to put Manhattanville up 6-5. A solo homer from senior Alicia Marino (Mahopac, N.Y./Pleasantville) in the sixth and another Torres RBI single added some insurance for the Valiants in the later innings.
 
Junior Alycia Feeney (Brewster, N.Y./Brewster) earned the win for Manhattanville, allowing five runs (four earned) on nine hits in seven innings. After struggling through the third inning, she allowed only one run on three hits over the final four frames to allow her team to mount a comeback.
 
Game 2: Manhattanville 11, Wilkes 2
 
Manhattanville again turned up the offensive attack in the later innings of game two, scoring 11 times in the final three innings of an 11-2 (6 inn.) game-two victory.
 
Hartenstein led the way for Manhattanville in game two, driving in three runs and also tossing five innings in the circle to earn the win. The sophomore improved to 9-3 by allowing one run on three hits in five innings.
 
Game two began like game one, with Hartenstein and Staunton trading zeroes for the first three innings. Hartenstein then broke the scoreless tie herself, crushing a three-run homer to left field. That was followed by back-to-back singles from senior Brittany Deieso (Brewster, N.Y./Brewster) and Strano, followed by a successful double steal to give the visitors a 4-0 lead.
 
Wilkes got on the board in the bottom half on an Ally Paskas RBI single, but Manhattanville came back with two in the next frame on a Marino RBI double and a Diemicke sacrifice fly.
 
The Valiants then added five runs in the sixth to end the game early. Junior Laurel Coito (San Diego, Calif./Cathedral Catholic) chipped in a run-scoring double during the rally before three straight bases-loaded walks, as senior Adrena Daw (Crompond, N.Y./Walter Panas) and sophomores Tori Dixon (Hopewell Junction, N.Y./John Jay) and Kristyn Pareres (Bronxville, N.Y./The Ursuline School) earned the free passes to drive in runs.
 
Manhattanville will close out the regular season tomorrow, as the Valiants honor their five graduating seniors with Senior Day before a non-conference doubleheader against Ithaca College beginning at noon.