PURCHASE, N.Y. – The Manhattanville College softball team dropped a pair of non-conference contests to a strong Massachusetts Institute of Technology squad on Tuesday afternoon, falling by the scores of 5-4 and 5-0 in the Valiants' 2018 home opener at Manhattanville Field.
 
Manhattanville (7-7) struggled at the plate against solid MIT pitching, managing only seven hits in 14 innings. Senior Alexis Ventarola (Eastchester, N.Y./Eastchester) was the lone Valiant with multiple hits on the day, while junior Sophia Chapelone (Carlsbad, Calif./La Costa Canyon) and freshman Isela Casillas (Chula Vista, Calif./Eastlake) both added a hit and a run batted in as well.
 
Game 1: MIT 5, Manhattanville 4
 
Manhattanville lost a late lead in the first game of the day, as MIT scored two runs in the top of the seventh to erase a one-run deficit and pull out a 5-4 victory. Ventarola paced the Valiants at the plate, going 2 for 3 with an RBI and a run scored.
 
The Engineers got on the board with two runs in the top of the first on a two-out homer off the bat of Sarah Von Ahn, but the Valiants got one run back in the bottom half after just two batters thanks to a Casillas RBI single that scored classmate Brooke Franson (Newport Beach, Calif./Corona del Mar). The visitors added one in the top of the fourth to regain their two-run lead, but Manhattanville responded with three in the bottom half, thanks to RBI singles from Ventarola and Chapelone and an MIT throwing error.
 
However, the visitors struck for a pair of unearned runs in their last at-bat to regain the lead, and Manhattanville stranded Casillas at second base in the bottom half. Senior Alycia Feeney (Brewster, N.Y./Brewster) took the loss for Manhattanville, falling to 5-4 on the year by allowing five runs (two earned) on six hits in seven innings.
 
Game 2: MIT 5, Manhattanville 0
 
The Valiants were stymied by MIT starter Colleen Campbell in game two, as the home team managed only one hit in the 5-0 defeat.
 
The Engineers picked up an unearned run against junior starter Aarin Hartenstein (Massapequa, N.Y./Plainedge) in the second inning, and the visitors added four runs against Hartenstein and sophomore Steph Muller (Port Jervis, N.Y./Port Jervis) in the sixth to grab some breathing room.

The extra runs turned out to be unnecessary thanks to Campbell, who lost her perfect game in the sixth on a walk to freshman Ali Orduna (Orange, Calif./Villa Park) and then came three outs short of a second straight no-hitter after Franson led off the seventh with a rocket into left-center. Campbell struck out nine in her one-hit shutout, while Hartenstein (2-3) suffered the loss by allowing four runs (three earned) on eight hits in 5.2 innings.
 
Manhattanville is once again set to open MAC Freedom play on Friday at Manhattanville Field against FDU-Florham.