PURCHASE, N.Y. – The Manhattanville College softball team made its long-anticipated home opener worth the wait on Wednesday afternoon, as the Valiants raced out to a 10-5 win in game one and staged a late comeback for an 8-5 game-two victory over the College of Mount Saint Vincent in non-conference action at Manhattanville Field.
 
Freshman Laurel Coito (San Diego, Calif./Cathedral Catholic) led the Valiants to the two wins, hitting for the cycle on the day with a homer, triple, double, two RBIs and three runs scored while also earning a win in the circle. Senior Alyssa Casino (Rye Brook, N.Y./Maria Regina) had two extra-base hits and drove in a team-best five runs, and freshman Alexis Ventarola (Eastchester, N.Y./Eastchester) had a hit in each game to run her career-opening hitting streak to 12.
 
Manhattanville jumped on Mount St. Vincent early in game one, scoring the first seven runs of the game on the way to a 10-5 victory.
 
Senior Rosaria Callara (Scarsdale, N.Y./Scarsdale) had a good game at the top of the order, going 2 for 3 with two RBIs and two runs scored, followed by Coito with two hits, two runs and an RBI from the two-hole. Sophomore Brittany Deieso (Brewster, N.Y./Brewster) also had two hits, scored three runs, and made a nice diving catch to help keep the Valiants in front.
 
Manhattanville started quickly by scoring two runs without the benefit of a hit in the first inning, then added a third run in the second inning on Callara's RBI double just inside the third-base bag. Four more runs came across in the third inning, helped by a two-run triple off the bat of Casino and a run-scoring single from Deieso.
 
Mount St. Vincent made the game interesting with three runs in the fourth and two more in the fifth, but Manhattanville came back with three in the bottom of the fifth to regain its comfortable lead. Deieso reached via error and scored on another Callara RBI base hit, which was followed by a triple off the bat of Coito and an MSV throwing error to score two more runs.
 
Sophomore Alicia Marino (Mahopac, N.Y./Pleasantville) settled down in the later innings, retiring the final seven batters she faced to win her fifth straight decision. She was especially efficient in the seventh inning, needing only three pitches to retire the three Dolphins and complete the win. Marino (5-1) allowed four earned runs on seven hits in seven innings.
 
It was a different story for Manhattanville in game two, as the Valiants scored eight of the game's final nine runs to overcome an early deficit and pick up an 8-5 victory.
 
Coito was big at the plate and in the circle for the Valiants, going 2 for 4 with her first collegiate homer while also picking up her first collegiate victory. Casino tacked on three more RBIs to her team-leading total and sophomore Adrena Daw (Crompond, N.Y./Walter Panas) drove in the go-ahead runs late for the Valiants as well in the win.
 
The Dolphins were the ones to get off to a quick start in game two, getting a leadoff homer from Joann Guerra and another from Kathryn Dalton two batters later as part of a four-run first inning. But Coito (1-3) settled down considerably after that, allowing only one run the rest of the way and finishing with four earned runs on 10 hits in seven frames.
 
Manhattanville was held off the board by Rachel Heizer for the first three innings before one big swing of the bat brought home three in the fourth. Coito and Deieso started the rally with back-to-back singles and an unsuccessful fielder's choice loaded the bases for Casino, who promptly unloaded them with a three-run double that got the home team back within a run.
 
MSV got one back with an unearned tally in the fifth inning, putting the visitors back up 5-3, but the home team responded with five in the sixth to take the lead for the first time. Coito started the rally with a solo homer, followed by an RBI single from Ventarola that both extended her hitting streak and also knotted the score at five. The big hit came later off the bat of Daw, who laced a bases-loaded single through the right side to score two and give Manhattanville the lead.
 
After saving a potential run in the sixth with a diving catch, graduate student Shauna Mulkerin (Branchburg, N.J./Immaculata) added an RBI double to make it 8-5. She then provided another big play in the seventh, as her relay throw cut down a runner at third base for the second out and allowed the Valiants to escape with the sweep.
 
Manhattanville will start up Freedom Conference play tomorrow, as the Valiants travel to FDU-Florham for two games with the preseason conference favorites beginning at 3 p.m.