CLERMONT, Fla. – The Manhattanville College softball team kicked off its 2015 season on Saturday evening at the NTC Spring Games, dropping a 5-2 game to Ohio Northern University and an 18-2 decision to the College of Saint Benedict at the National Training Center.
Freshman
Alexis Ventarola (Eastchester, N.Y./Eastchester) was the team's top hitter on the day, going 2 for 3 with a homer, triple, two runs batted in and a run scored. Sophomore
Shelbee Damianos (Ojai, Calif./Nordhoff) also had two hits in six at-bats as well for Manhattanville (0-2).
In the first game of the day, Manhattanville took a 2-1 lead into the sixth inning before four Ohio Northern runs turned the tables and allowed the Polar Bears to escape with a 5-2 victory.
Manhattanville managed just four hits at the plate, with four batters getting one apiece. Ventarola made her first collegiate hit a home run for the Valiants, while classmate
Laurel Coito (San Diego, Calif./Cathedral Catholic) drove in a run as well.
The Valiants struck first in the bottom of the second, when freshman
Jennifer Vasquez (Norwalk, Calif./Norwalk) doubled and then came home following a walk and consecutive hit batters. The Manhattanville lead doubled in the fourth when Ventarola homered with one down to make it a 2-0 score.
Ohio Northern got one run back in the top of the fifth after Jenna Hollar got on with two outs, stole two bases and came home on an Anna Martin single. But the big inning came in the sixth, when the Polar Bears scored four times on just two hits thanks to three walks and a hit batter.
Sophomore
Alicia Marino (Mahopac, N.Y./Pleasantville) pitched well for the first five innings before a tough sixth inning, suffering the loss (0-1) by giving up all five runs on just four hits. Senior
Rosaria Callara (Scarsdale, N.Y./Scarsdale) came on in relief and ceded one hit in two innings. ONU's Kirsten Lightel (4-1) earned the win, allowing two runs on four hits with five strikeouts.
The second game of the day was not an easy one on the Valiant pitching staff, as Manhattanville had trouble finding the plate in an 18-2 defeat to Saint Benedict.
Ventarola, Damianos and senior
Alyssa Casino (Rye Brook, N.Y./Maria Regina) all had hits for the Valiants in a losing effort, with Ventarola and Marino producing the Valiant runs.
The Valiants again got on the board first in the top of the first, as Casino walked with one out, was moved to third on a Damianos single and came home on a Marino RBI ground out. But Saint Benedict came back with three runs in the bottom half and then added six more in the second inning to quickly take control of the game.
Manhattanville got its second run of the night thanks to an RBI triple off the bat of Ventarola in the top of the fourth, before nine Blazer runs in the bottom half helped to end the game early.
Callara (0-1) suffered the loss in the circle, allowing eight runs (six earned) in an inning-plus of work. Coito allowed one earned run in 2.2 innings of relief, while Marino also got one out to close out the fourth inning as well.
Manhattanville be back for its second day at the NTC Spring Games tomorrow, when the Valiants take on The Sage Colleges at 11 a.m. and Stockton University at 3 p.m.
