Boxscore

PURCHASE, N.Y. - The Manhattanville softball team walked off with an extra-inning win for the second straight game at Manhattanville Field on Wednesday afternoon, as a single by sophomore Amanda Locke (Brasher Falls, N.Y./St. Lawrence Central) in the bottom of the eighth inning gave the Valiants a 3-2 (8 inn.) win over SUNY New Paltz in game one of a non-conference doubleheader. Game two of the twinbill was called due to darkness and rain.

For the second straight game seven innings were not enough to decide a winner, although this time the international tiebreaker rules were put in place in the eighth, providing both teams with a chance to break the tie right away.

New Paltz missed its chance in the top half, thanks to a great heads up play by sophomore Brianna Scapperotti (Harrison, N.Y./Harrison). After a sacrifice moved Kristen Schork to third base with one out, Scapperotti fielded a grounder at third and then faked to first before turning and firing to Locke at third base to catch Schork wandering off the base for the second out.

In the bottom half, Manhattanville had the same chance and did not miss it. Junior Ashley Dell (Huntington Station, N.Y./Huntington) reached third on a sacrifice bunt by senior Samantha Howe (Wappingers Falls, N.Y./John Jay), and Locke then laced a single that fell just in front of the left fielder to give the Valiants their second straight walk-off win at home.

Howe (7-4) got the win for Manhattanville, going the full eight innings and allowing just two runs on six hits. The senior struck out seven in picking up her fourth straight victory in the circle, in the process becoming just the second Valiant in program history to record 300 strikeouts for a career (303). Gillian Davidoff (5-4) came on in relief three batters into the game and allowed two runs (one earned) on seven hits in seven innings to suffer the loss.

The top of the lineup was nearly unstoppable for the Valiants against the Hawks, as the trio of Scapperotti, senior Lindsay Zekus (Sleepy Hollow, N.Y./Sleepy Hollow) and sophomore Lynsey Schill (Waterloo, Ont./St. David Catholic) combined to go 8 for 9. Scapperotti went 3 for 3 with an RBI, Zekus got on base all four times with two hits and two walks and scored twice, while Schill went 3 for 4 on her birthday.

Manhattanville needed just two batters to push the first run of the game across in the bottom of the first, as Zekus singled and then made it to third after stealing second and having the throw bounce off her into the outfield. With a runner at third, Scapperotti singled to center for a 1-0 lead.

New Paltz came back with two runs in the top of the fifth inning on a two-run, two out double by Melissa Liotta, but the Valiants came back with one of their own in the bottom half to tie the score. Again it was the top of the order doing the damage: Zekus and Scapperotti singled back to back and, after Scapperotti was caught in a rundown between first and second, Zekus scampered home for the second run.

Neither team scored in the sixth or seventh innings, setting the stage for yet another dramatic finish at home.

The second game was in no way dramatic – a consistent light rain made things miserable on the pitchers, resulting in a combined 20 runs, nine walks and 14 wild pitches. With the slow pace of the game and the rain intensifying, the umpires finally called the game with the score tied at 10. Since the requisite five innings were not played, the game goes down as a no contest.

Manhattanville (8-6) will be back in action on Saturday, as the Valiants travel to Eastern University for a key Freedom Conference doubleheader starting at 12 p.m.