EWING, N.J. – Freshman
Aarin Hartenstein (Massapequa, N.Y./Plainedge) doubled home sophomore
Laurel Coito (San Diego, Calif./Cathedral Catholic) with the game-winning run in the bottom of the seventh inning as NFCA #19 and second-seeded Manhattanville College edged fourth-seeded College of Staten Island, 3-2, in game five of the Ewing, New Jersey, Regional of the 2016 NCAA Division III Softball Championships, hosted by The College of New Jersey at Dr. June Walker Field on Saturday.
Manhattanville (39-3) advances to the championship round of the regional, where the Valiants will have to defeat top-seeded TCNJ twice to take home the regional title. Game one tomorrow begins at noon, with an if-necessary game slated for 2:30 p.m.
Like many of Manhattanville's rallies today, the game-winning rally started with a leadoff walk to Coito. After a foul out and a fly out, Hartenstein stepped to the plate and sliced a ball into the wind that landed at the base of the wall in left, and Coito scampered all the way around to score and give the Valiants a victory.
The rally made a winner out of sophomore
Alycia Feeney (Brewster, N.Y./Brewster), who tossed two hitless innings in relief of freshman
Julianna Orrico (Bronx, N.Y./Preston).
The Valiants opened the scoring way back in the first inning with another quick two-out rally. After the first two were retired, freshman
Desiree Buboi (Villa Park, Calif./Orange Lutheran) visited the gap in right center and promptly came home on an RBI single from junior
Alicia Marino (Mahopac, N.Y./Pleasantville).
Manhattanville added another run in the bottom of the third when Marino drew a bases-loaded walk to double the Valiant lead, but freshman
Evonne Torres (Hacienda Heights, Calif./Pioneer) was robbed of at least one RBI when shortstop Antoinette Galbo made a great running catch in short left to end the inning.
That play loomed large in the fifth inning when Staten Island (26-14) finally broke through against Orrico with a pair of unearned runs, getting RBI singles from Vanessa Joia and Kristy Colangelo to tie the game.
Orrico pitched well despite the no-decision, tossing five innings and allowing just two unearned runs on six hits while striking out four.
