MONTCLAIR, N.J. – The Manhattanville College softball team gave Montclair State University a tough test on Thursday afternoon, but the Red Hawks pulled out a pair of victories by the scores of 10-5 and 5-4 in non-conference action at the MSU Softball Stadium.
 
The Valiants jumped out to a 3-0 lead after three innings of the day's first game, but Montclair State came back with 10 runs over the next three frames to take control and pick up a 10-5 win.
 
Sophomore Shelbee Damianos (Ojai, Calif./Nordhoff) provided much of the team's offense, going 2 for 4 with three runs batted in. Grad student Shauna Mulkerin (Branchburg, N.J./Immaculata) and freshman Alexis Ventarola (Eastchester, N.Y./Eastchester) each scored twice, with Ventarola also adding an RBI of her own.
 
Manhattanville struck first with one in the second inning thanks to an RBI single from senior Alyssa Casino (Rye Brook, N.Y./Maria Regina), but the inning could have been much more if not for two outs made on the basepaths. Despite that, the Valiants kept coming and put two more on the board in the third thanks to a Ventarola run-scoring double and a Damianos RBI grounder.
 
Sophomore Alicia Marino (Mahopac, N.Y./Pleasantville) faced one batter over the minimum as she cruised through the first three innings, but Montclair got her for three runs in the fourth inning and two more in the fifth. Both times the main culprit was Brianna Davidson, who registered two-run doubles in both rallies.
 
Five more Montclair State runs came home in the sixth inning to give the home team some breathing room. The Valiants got two runs back in the seventh inning on a double by Damianos, but that was all the visitors could get.
 
Marino (7-5) suffered the loss, allowing 10 runs (eight earned) on 13 hits in 6.0 innings. Montclair's Brooke Powers (10-11) allowed five runs on seven hits in seven innings to earn the win.
 
The second game of the day remained closer throughout, but the Red Hawks scored the go-ahead run in the fourth inning and the Valiants were unable to respond in a 5-4 defeat.
 
Seven Valiants had one hit in the contest and only two Valiant runs were driven in, both courtesy of Casino.
 
Again it was Manhattanville to cross the plate first in game two, scoring twice in the top of the first. After the first two batters were retired, three straight singles by Damianos, Marino and sophomore Adrena Daw (Crompond, N.Y./Walter Panas) loaded the bases for Casino, who brought home a pair with a single to right.
 
Montclair came right back with four runs in the bottom half to take a 4-2 lead after one inning, but Manhattanville got those runs back in the fourth inning as a Red Hawk error with two down allowed a pair of Valiants to score.
 
However, Montclair again responded immediately against Marino, who had come on in relief of senior Rosaria Callara (Scarsdale, N.Y./Scarsdale) to get out of a jam in the third inning. A leadoff triple by Lauren Guillen put the home team in good shape, and she came home on a Powers single to put MSU up for good.
 
Callara, who came back into the contest to toss two scoreless innings at the end, finished the game with four runs allowed on four hits in 4.1 innings. Marino (7-6) allowed just one run on two hits in 1.2 innings to suffer the loss in relief.
 
Manhattanville will be back home at Manhattanville Field on Saturday, when the Valiants host Delaware Valley University for a pair of must-win Freedom Conference contests beginning at 1 p.m.