Box Score 1 | Box Score 2 PURCHASE, N.Y. – Junior Alyssa Taylor (Craik, Sask./Craik) earned a pair of wins for Manhattanville in the circle against Freedom Conference foe Wilkes on Sunday, as she tossed a four-hit shutout in a tight 1-0 game-one victory and then received a lot of offensive assistance in a 12-3 (5 inn.) game-two blowout at Manhattanville Field.

Taylor was a key player both offensively and defensively for Manhattanville on the day, but especially in the circle as she allowed just one run on nine hits in 10.0 innings of work, striking out five. She also went 2 for 3 at the plate with a homer, two runs batted in and two runs scored.

Game one of the afternoon was a tense pitchers' duel between Taylor and Wilkes' Laykin Hughes, but Manhattanville got the only run they needed in the second inning and that was enough for Taylor in a 1-0 win.

The Valiants scored what turned out to be the only run of the game in the bottom of the second, starting with a leadoff double to left from senior Ashley Dell (Huntington Station, N.Y./Huntington). After a pair of strikeouts sandwiched around a walk to junior Kim Angiolillo (White Plains, N.Y./Good Counsel Academy), fellow junior Brianna Scapperotti (Harrison, N.Y./Harrison) looped a ball between the second baseman and right fielder, and Dell raced around third to just beat the throw at the plate.

Taylor did not allow a hit through the first three frames, but did encounter some trouble in the fourth, as Wilkes put the first two runners on base via back-to-back singles. However, junior Amanda Locke (Brasher Falls, N.Y./St. Lawrence Central) made a nice running catch in right field for the first out and sophomore Shauna Mulkerin (Branchburg, N.J./Immaculata) caught a runner at the plate on a ground ball to short for the second out. Taylor then induced an infield pop up to end the threat and keep the home team ahead.

The Colonels threatened again in their final at bat, as Jessalyn Paveletz led off with a double. With two on and one out, junior Kim Angiolillo (White Plains, N.Y./Good Counsel Academy) made a key defensive play of her own, making a great running catch in right center to rob Laykin Hughes of a hit for the second out. Down to the final out, Taylor struck out Emily McGrath with the bases loaded to close out the victory.

Taylor (2-4) scattered four hits and struck out three in the complete-game win, her second shutout of the year and third of her career. Hughes (3-4) was the hard-luck loser for Wilkes, allowing just one run on three hits and striking out eight.

The Manhattanville bats quickly made game two into a race to reach the five-inning mark before rain halted play, scoring six times in the first inning and never looking back in a wet 12-3 win that was stopped after five frames.

Eleven different Valiants recorded hits and eight players drove in a run in the victory, led by Taylor going 2 for 2 with a two-run homer and a pair of runs scored. Junior Katie Pitcher (Cold Spring, N.Y./Valley Central) also went 2 for 2 with an RBI and a game-high three runs scored, a number that was matched by classmate Lynsey Schill (Waterloo, Ont./St. David Catholic). Juniors Jessica Van Galen (Bedford Hills, N.Y./Fox Lane) and Angiolillo both had two hits each as well, while Dell and Mulkerin drove in two apiece.

After picking up just three hits in the entire first game, the Valiants erupted for six runs on six hits in the first inning of game two. Pitcher scored Schill with a RBI double to make it 1-0 Valiants, followed by another RBI double from Van Galen and a run-scoring single up the middle by Dell. After a strikeout, Angiolillo plated Van Galen with the fourth Valiant run, and Mulkerin completed the rally with a double to left that scored Dell and Angiolillo.

After Wilkes got one back in the top of the second on an RBI single by Dayna Finch, the skies opened up and the Valiant offense continued its onslaught in the bottom of the second, plating three more. Taylor provided the big blow of the frame with a two-run homer to left that scored Pitcher, who led off with a single. Freshman Laura Montalto (Bronx, N.Y./Preston) continued the rally with a single and then came home thanks in large part to the rain, as Alysha Bixler tossed three consecutive wild pitches that brought her all the way around.

Manhattanville added two more in the third on an RBI single by freshman Cori-Bianca Embler (Beacon, N.Y./Beacon) and a sacrifice fly from Dell, and then scored for the fourth straight inning when the first career hit of freshman Kristen Rodopoulos (Scarsdale, N.Y./The Ursuline School) scored Schill.

Taylor (3-4) was credited with the win in game two as well, as she started the contest and allowed one run on five hits over the first three frames. Rodopoulos closed out the victory, allowing two runs (one earned) on three hits over the final two. Bixler (0-5) suffered the loss for Wilkes, allowing all 12 runs (nine earned) on 15 hits in four innings.

Manhattanville (9-10, 5-1 Freedom) will return to the field on Wednesday, as the Valiants travel to SUNY New Paltz for a non-conference doubleheader beginning at 3 p.m. Wilkes (4-10, 1-3 Freedom) will host Baptist Bible for two games on Wednesday at 6 p.m.