Messiah Boxscore
Ripon Boxscore

CLERMONT, Fla. – The Manhattanville softball team had a tough conclusion to its 2011 Spring Break schedule on Tuesday, as the Valiants were dropped by NFCA #5 Messiah College, 3-0, and Ripon (Wisc.) College, 6-5.

The Valiants faced a tough task in Tuesday's first game by going up against the nationally ranked Falcons and specifically reigning first-team All-American hurler Jessica Rhoads, who did not allow a hit and struck out 16 in seven innings.

But senior righthander Samantha Howe (Wappingers Falls, N.Y./John Jay) nearly matched Rhoads pitch for pitch, ceding just one earned run and four hits while striking out five over seven innings. However, a solo home run in the fourth inning gave the Falcons the lead and Messiah added a pair of unearned runs in the fifth frame to pick up the victory.

Manhattanville put runners in scoring position twice against the Falcons, but could not come up with a hit. Senior Nicole Bifulco (Howard Beach, N.Y./St. Francis Prep) led off the first inning with a walk and then stole second but was stranded, while classmate Lindsay Zekus (Sleepy Hollow, N.Y./Sleepy Hollow) also walked to lead off the fourth and reached third base after a stolen base and a sacrifice bunt, but could not make it the final 60 feet.

In the second game of the day against Ripon, Manhattanville jumped out to an early lead but could not hold it in suffering the one-run defeat.

The game started well, as Bifulco led off the game with a single and was eventually singled home by sophomore Jessica Van Galen (Bedford Hills, N.Y./Fox Lane) for the first run of the contest. That was followed by another base hit from junior Ashley Dell (Huntington Station, N.Y./Huntington) that sent Van Galen to the plate to double the Valiant lead.

The Valiants tacked on two more runs in the fourth inning and another in the fifth on a solo home run from Howe, but the team could not overcome its deficit in suffering the loss.

Howe was solid both at the plate and in the circle for the Valiants, going 3 for 4 with two RBIs while also allowing three earned runs and striking out five in seven innings of work. Bifulco also registered three hits for Manhattanville as well in a losing effort.

Manhattanville (1-4, 0-0 Freedom) will return north to continue non-conference action next Wednesday on March 23 at William Paterson University starting at 3 p.m.