Box Score 1 | Box Score 2 PURCHASE, N.Y. – The Manhattanville softball team once again showed its resilience in Wednesday's non-conference doubleheader against Kean, earning a come-from-behind 8-5 victory in game two to pick up a hard-fought split with the Cougars on a sunny afternoon at Manhattanville Field. Kean took the first game, 9-1 (5 inn.), to begin the day.

Junior Katie Pitcher (Cold Spring, N.Y./Valley Central) led Manhattanville with three hits in five at-bats while also scoring twice on the day. Freshman Laura Montalto (Bronx, N.Y./Preston) and senior Ashley Dell (Huntington Station, N.Y./Huntington) has two hits and scored two runs apiece, while juniors Alyssa Taylor (Craik, Sask./Craik) and Jessica Van Galen (Bedford Hills, N.Y./Fox Lane) also added big homers for the home team.

Game two saw an array of heroes for Manhattanville to help pick up the split, as three Valiants went deep to aid in the 8-5 win. Van Galen had a big three-run homer in the fifth inning to put the home team ahead, while Montalto went 2 for 3 with a homer, two runs scored and two RBIs. Pitcher reached base three times and scored twice from the two-hole, and Taylor went 1 for 2 with a two-run homer of her own to put the Valiants up early.

Manhattanville found success first in the first inning, as Pitcher lined a one-out double down the right-field line to extend her hitting streak to eight and set the table for Taylor, who followed with a first-pitch bomb over the left-field fence to make it 2-0 Valiants. The Valiants looked to increase their lead in the bottom of the third frame, loading the bases with no outs, but could not score.

Kean then scored five times in the top of the fourth inning to swing the momentum their way. The first five players reached base in the frame, including a Sandra Binkiewicz two-run homer, and three Cougars followed with RBI base hits off Pitcher and Taylor to give the visitors a 5-2 lead. But the home team responded with two of their own in the bottom half, as three straight doubles by Dell, Montalto, and freshman Danielle DeAndrea (Mamaroneck, N.Y./Mamaroneck) made it a one-run game again.

After freshman Kristen Rodopoulos (Scarsdale, N.Y./The Ursuline School) came on and set the Cougars down in order on just nine pitches in the fifth, the Valiants came right back up and scored four times to regain the lead. Pitcher and Taylor saw a combined 15 pitches before working back-to-back walks to start the inning, and Van Galen followed with a mammoth homer to left on the first pitch she saw, putting the home team back up by two. Montalto then added to the lead later in the frame with a shot that easily cleared the fence in straight-away center, making it 8-5.

Rodopoulos (3-3) allowed just one hit the rest of the way to close out the contest and give Manhattanville the split. The freshman tossed three scoreless innings of relief to earn the win, allowing just one hit and striking out one. Rebecca Rotola (2-1) suffered the loss in relief for Kean, allowing five runs – ending with Van Galen's homer – on six hits in two-plus innings.

Manhattanville was no match for Kean in game one of the doubleheader, however, as Courtney Yard shut down the Valiant offense and the Cougars scored six runs in the first two innings on the way to a 9-1 (5 inn.) win.

The visitors took the lead just two batters into the game, as Alicia Banz led off with a walk and came around on a double by Megan Cegielski. Kean then came back with five more in the top of the second inning. Jill Martin started the run with an RBI double, followed by a two-run double by Banz and another two-run base hit from Katie Schuh.

Manhattanville, meanwhile, managed just one hit through the first four frames. The Valiants did manage to get on the board in the bottom of the fifth, as Dell extended her hitting streak to six games with a single up the middle and came around on an RBI triple off the bat of junior Kim Angiolillo (White Plains, N.Y./Good Counsel Academy).

But that was it against Yard (7-2), who allowed three hits and struck out seven in the complete-game win. Rodopoulos (2-4) took the loss for Manhattanville, allowing six runs (three earned) on five hits in 1.1 innings. Taylor finished off the game for the home team, allowing the final three runs (two earned) with four strikeouts in 3.2 innings.

Manhattanville (7-8) will return to Freedom Conference play on Saturday, as the Valiants complete their homestand with a key doubleheader against Wilkes beginning at noon at Manhattanville Field. Kean (9-5) will host fellow Freedom school DeSales for two games tomorrow starting at 3 p.m.