Game 1 Boxscore
Game 2 Boxscore

PURCHASE, N.Y. – Strong pitching and a potent offensive attack were too much for the Manhattanville softball team on Friday afternoon against Western Connecticut State University, as the Colonials swept the Valiants by scores of 6-2 and 9-0 (5 inn.) in a non-conference doubleheader at a chilly Manhattanville Field.

It was a tough day for the Valiant offense against some strong WCSU pitching, as only one Valiant recorded more than one hit. That person was junior Ashley Dell (Huntington Station, N.Y./Huntington), who provided the Valiants' only runs of the day with a two-run homer in game one.

Manhattanville started strong in the opener, but Western Connecticut scored five times in the fifth inning on the way to a 6-2 game-one win. The Valiants opened the scoring in the bottom of the second, as Dell cracked a two-run homer to right field after sophomore Jessica Van Galen (Bedford Hills, N.Y./Fox Lane) led off the frame with a single.

Meanwhile, senior Samantha Howe (Wappingers Falls, N.Y./John Jay) did her best to keep the tough Colonial lineup off the scoreboard, limiting WCSU to just two hits through the first four frames, but the visitors struck for five runs in the top of the fifth to take the lead. A walk followed by four straight hits gave the Colonials a lead for the first time, and a two-run double by Amy Hartman scored two more and signaled the end of the day for Howe.

Sophomore Michelle Ferlito (Lindenhurst, N.Y./St. John the Baptist) came on in relief and got out of the fifth without further damage, stranding three runners. Western Connecticut tacked on one more in the seventh on a leadoff homer by Danielle Basciano, while the Valiants could not manage a hit the rest of the way off WCSU starter Magen Dargon.

Howe (9-5) took the loss for Manhattanville, allowing five runs on seven hits in 4.2 innings, with Ferlito allowing one run on one hit in the final 2.1 frames. Dargon (8-3) earned the win for Western Connecticut, allowing two runs on three hits in a complete-game victory.

The second game saw Western Connecticut get off to the good start, scoring three times in the first inning and never looking back in a 9-0 win.

Sophomore Lynsey Schill (Waterloo, Ont./St. David Catholic) got her second start of the year in the circle for the Valiants. After getting the first two outs of the opening frame, a single and walk brought up Meghan Mammone and the senior sent one over the center-field fence to give the visitors an early 3-0 advantage.

The visitors would continue the offensive attack in subsequent innings, scoring once in the second, four times in the third and once more in the fourth. The Valiants, meanwhile, managed just three hits off Stephanie Moss and Basciano and saw just one runner reach third base.

Moss (6-0) earned the win for WestConn, scattering two hits and striking out four in four innings of work. Schill (1-1) suffered the loss for the home team, ceding eight runs (five earned) on seven hits in three innings. Ferlito came on in relief again for Manhattanville, giving up one run on three hits in two innings to close out the contest.

Manhattanville (10-8) will continue a very busy weekend of softball tomorrow, as the Valiants host Misericordia University in a key Freedom Conference doubleheader. Game time was moved up to 11:30 a.m. to combat rain forecasted for later in the day. Western Connecticut (15-5) travels to Southern Maine tomorrow for two games starting at 1 p.m.