Box Score PURCHASE, N.Y. – The Manhattanville softball team overcame a two-run deficit by scoring 10 times in the final two innings to start its Freedom Conference schedule with an 10-2 (5 inn.) win over FDU-Florham at a rainy Manhattanville Field on Saturday. Game two was postponed due to the incessant rain.
 
The bottom of the order provided a lot of punch for Manhattanville (6-5, 1-0 Freedom) in the victory. Senior Emily Frawley (White Plains, N.Y./White Plains) was a catalyst from the seven-spot, going 3 for 3 and scoring two runs, while freshman Brittany Deieso (Brewster, N.Y./Brewster) and senior Shauna Mulkerin (Branchburg, N.J./Immaculata) both drove in two runs. Junior Rosaria Callara (Scarsdale, N.Y./Scarsdale) added two hits while scoring twice and driving in a run, and freshman Shelbee Damianos (Ojai, Calif./Nordhoff) went 2 for 4 and drove in a run.
 
FDU-Florham (10-6, 4-1 Freedom) got on the board first in the top of the second, as Wynne McCann sent a laser over the fence in left-center leading off the inning. The Valiants threatened to take back the lead in the bottom half by loading the bases with one out, but left three on base.
 
Florham got one more run in the top of the fourth when McCann scampered home on a double steal attempt, but the Valiants caught a big break when a dropped pop up that landed just inside the first-base line was ruled foul. Senior Alyssa Taylor (Craik, Sask./Craik) then induced a ground out from Jenna Appello to get out of the jam and keep it a two-run game.
 
Capitalizing on their good fortune, Manhattanville came right back in the bottom half and scored three times to take the lead for the first time. Taylor reached on an error to start the inning, and a walk to senior Kirsten Savage (Harrington Park, N.J./Old Tappan) was followed by an infield single from Frawley loaded the bases with no outs. Deieso then delivered a two-run single through the left side to knot the score at two, and Mulkerin added a sacrifice fly to left that put the Valiants up a run.
 
FDU-Florham threatened again in the top of the fifth, but Taylor worked around trouble to keep her team ahead. The righthander struck out McCann after the first two batters reached, and then received a huge play from Savage when she stabbed a Crilley grounder and got an out at second to keep the Devils off the board.
 
The floodgates and the skies suddenly opened in the bottom of the fifth, as the Valiants erupted for eight runs to end the game early. Freshman Dolores Diemicke (North Massapequa, N.Y./Plainedge) made it a 4-2 game with an RBI double, followed by two-run homer from Taylor that provided her some breathing room. But the runs kept coming, with Damianos providing the final blow with a single up the middle that put the home team up by eight.
 
Taylor (4-5) picked up her third straight win, dancing in and out of trouble all game long but allowing only two runs on five hits. Sydney Worek (6-3) breezed through the first three innings but found trouble after that, finishing with five runs (four earned) on six hits in 4.1 innings. Amanda Finn did no better in relief, allowing six runs (two earned) on five hits in just a third of an inning.
 
Game two was postponed, as the rain proved to be too much for the team to start up. The makeup date for the second game has not yet been announced.
 
Manhattanville is scheduled to get back to Freedom Conference play on Monday, when the Valiants will host King's (Pa.) for two games at Manhattanville Field beginning at 3 p.m.