Softball | 5/13/2018 6:28:00 PM
Box Score ITHACA, N.Y. – Top-seeded and NFCA #21 Ithaca College scored the game's first six runs and a Valiant rally came up a few hits short as the Bombers captured the regional title with a 6-3 victory over third-seeded Manhattanville College in the championship game of the Ithaca, New York Regional of the NCAA Div. III Softball Championships, held at Ithaca's Doris Kostrinsky Field on Sunday afternoon.
With the victory, Ithaca (31-10) advances to the Super Regional round of the NCAA Tournament, where they will face off with St. John Fisher College, winners of the Rochester, New York Regional. Manhattanville (27-16) has its season come to a close with a fourth regional title round appearance in the last five seasons.
Following the game, graduate student
Dolores Diemicke (North Massapequa, N.Y./Plainedge), junior
Aarin Hartenstein (Massapequa, N.Y./Plainedge) and freshman
Isela Casillas (Chula Vista, Calif./Eastlake) were named to the All-Tournament Team.
Diemicke went out in style by becoming the school's all-time hits leader in her final collegiate game, homering in the fourth inning to break a tie with Nicole Oliva '09 with her 181st career hit. Hartenstein also homered and had a strong outing in relief for the Valiants as well.
Manhattanville had all the momentum after a thrilling 6-5 win in the first game of the championship round, but Ithaca quelled that quickly by scoring three times in the top of the first inning, with the big blow a two-run double by Nikki Skuraton with two outs. The Bombers added three more unearned runs in the second inning to take a 6-0 lead after two frames.
The Valiants had trouble early with Ithaca starter Beth Fleming, who struck out the side in each of the first two innings and limited Manhattanville to two hits over the first three.
Manhattanville showed some life offensively in the fourth inning, scoring twice. Diemicke broke the school hits record with an opposite-field shot over the fence in right-center to lead off the frame, and Hartenstein made it back-to-back homers by also serving one over the fence in left-center. The Valiants added another run in the fifth on a bases-loaded walk to freshman
Ali Orduna (Orange, Calif./Villa Park).
The Valiants again threatened in the sixth inning, putting a runner on third, but Skuraton made a leaping catch to rob junior
Desiree Buboi (Villa Park, Calif./Orange Lutheran) and keep the Bombers ahead by three entering the seventh.
Senior
Alycia Feeney (Brewster, N.Y./Brewster) suffered the loss for Manhattanville, allowing five runs (two earned) on four hits in 1.1 innings. Hartenstein settled things down in relief, allowing one unearned run on seven hits in 5.2 innings.
The Valiants finish the year with a 27-16 record, the third straight season of 27 wins or more and a third straight MAC Freedom title and NCAA regional final berth. As the lone member of the Valiant softball Class of 2018, Diemicke leaves Manhattanville first all-time in hits (181), games played (170) and games started (166); second in runs scored (122); third in doubles (41) and total bases (302); fifth in runs batted in (117) and sixth in homers (22). The remainder of the squad will be back in 2019, as the Valiants look for a second regional title.
