Box Score 1 | Box Score 2 NEW YORK, N.Y. – Junior Jessica Van Galen (Bedford Hills, N.Y./Fox Lane) had a career day at the plate for the Manhattanville softball team on Wednesday, launching three homers and driving in nine runs to lead the Valiants to a doubleheader sweep of non-conference Hunter at Randalls Island Field #12. The Valiants took the first game, 5-4 (8 inn.), and then cruised to a 10-2 win in the nightcap.
 
After homering in both ends of Saturday's doubleheader against Delaware Valley, Van Galen remained red-hot at the plate against the Bearcats, going 4 for 8 (all extra-base hits) with three homers, three runs scored and nine runs batted in. She drove in seven by herself in game two, coming just one short of the program-record eight by Casey Killard '07 on April 26, 2005, and also set a program record by extending her streak of consecutive games with a homer to four.
 
Manhattanville as a team held a home-run derby of sorts against the Hawks, as the Valiants combined for seven home runs on the day. In addition to Van Galen's three, senior Ashley Dell (Huntington Station, N.Y./Huntington), juniors Brianna Scapperotti (Harrison, N.Y./Harrison) and Kim Angiolillo (White Plains, N.Y./Good Counsel Academy), and freshman Kristen Rodopoulos (Scarsdale, N.Y./The Ursuline School) also went deep in the two victories.
 
Game one needed more than seven innings to decide, as the Valiants shook off a seventh-inning rally by Hunter to score three times in the eighth frame for a 5-4 (8 inn.) victory. Three homers played a big role in the Valiant victory to start the day, as four of the team's five runs came via the long ball.
 
The Valiants' first run of the game, however, came not from a homer but from some wildness on the part of Hunter starter Amanda Annicaro. Junior Alyssa Taylor (Craik, Sask./Craik) worked a one-out walk, advanced to third on a single from freshman Laura Montalto (Bronx, N.Y./Preston), and eventually came home after two straight walks forced her to the plate.
 
That was it for scoring until the top of the sixth, when Angiolillo made it a two-run game with a one-out solo homer. That run turned out to be important, as Hunter struck for two runs in the bottom of the seventh on a two-run, two-out double by Arielle Zieff to send the game to extra innings.
 
But Manhattanville came right back in the top of the eighth with three runs to regain the lead. With Montalto placed on second to start the inning according to international tiebreaker rules, Van Galen wasted little time by sending an Annicaro offering over the fence for her sixth homer of the year. Rodopoulos added a key insurance run with a two-out homer of her own, making it 5-2.
 
Again those runs were needed, as the Hawks made another last-chance effort to extend the game. An RBI groundout by Brianna Kresback and a run-scoring double by Sophia Ponce made it a one-run game again, but Rodopoulos buckled down and got Molly Meehan to fly out to end the game.
 
Rodopoulos (4-6) earned the win in the circle, allowing four runs (three earned) on six hits in a complete-game effort. She struck out six in eight innings to earn her fourth win of the year. Annicaro (4-5) suffered the loss for Hunter, allowing all five runs (four earned) on eight hits over eight frames.
 
The second game featured less drama but more offensive fireworks, as four Valiant homers combined and a stellar individual effort from Van Galen allowed the visitors to complete the sweep with a 10-2 win in six innings.
 
Van Galen again was the star, going 3 for 4 with two homers, a double, a career-high seven runs batted in and a pair of runs scored. Dell went 2 for 4 with a homer and three runs scored as well for the visitors, while Scapperotti added her first home run of the season in the win.
 
The Valiants wasted little time taking a lead in the first inning, as three Valiant homers came with two outs to put up a four-spot before Hunter even came to the plate. Dell and Van Galen went back-to-back with two outs to make it 2-0, and after an error on a Montalto grounder allowed the inning to continue, Scapperotti homered to right field to double the lead.
 
Manhattanville again capitalized on a Hunter miscue in the second inning, scoring four unearned runs to make it an 8-0 game. Sophomore Shauna Mulkerin (Branchburg, N.J./Immaculata) earned a one-out walk and Taylor doubled with two down, but the inning looked to be over after Dell struck out, only for the senior to reach first base on an error by the catcher. Van Galen was up next to make Hunter pay dearly for the mistake, hitting a grand slam to give her five RBI after just two innings.
 
Hunter got two runs off of junior Katie Pitcher (Cold Spring, N.Y./Valley Central) in the bottom of the fourth, but Manhattanville got those back in the sixth inning courtesy of – who else – Van Galen. Pitcher and Dell singled to start the rally, and Van Galen doubled home both runners to make it 10-2 in favor of the Valiants.
 
With the end of the game in sight, Pitcher set Hunter down in order in the bottom of the sixth to end the contest an inning early.
 
Pitcher (5-2) earned the win in game two, allowing two runs on six hits and striking out a career-high seven in the victory. Annicaro (4-6) again took the loss, allowing all 10 runs (four earned) on 10 hits.
 
Manhattanville (14-13) will look to carry its momentum back into conference play, as the Valiants will host Eastern in a very important Freedom Conference doubleheader on Saturday beginning at noon at Manhattanville Field. Hunter (13-21) will host Old Westbury on Friday starting at 3 p.m.