WILKES-BARRE, PA. – The Manhattanville College softball team, ranked No. 14 in the most recent National Fastpitch Coaches Association (NFCA) Division III Top 25 poll, picked up a pair of road victories to start Middle Atlantic Conference (MAC) Freedom play Sunday afternoon, March 24, over King's College (Pa.).
 
The Valiants (12-0, 2-0 MACF) outhit the Lady Monarchs (5-8, 0-4 MACF) a combined 27-6 in the two games. Manhattanville won game one 2-0 behind a four-hit shutout from senior pitcher Aarin Hartenstein (Massapequa, N.Y./Plainedge), and picked up the 9-0 victory in the second game thanks to a two-hit shutout and six strikeouts from sophomore Jasmine Feliciano (Suffern, N.Y./Suffern) in just her second-career start.
 
Game 1
The first game was scoreless for the first two innings before sophomore Isela Casillas (Chula Vista, Calif./Eastlake) led off the top of the third with a triple to right. Rookie Giovanna Liggett (Fountain Valley, Calif./Edison) plated her teammate in the next at-bat with an RBI double to right centerfield to make it 1-0. The score remaining that way for another three innings before sophomore Brooke Franson (Newport Beach, Calif./Corona del Mar) hit a two-out single to center – the first baseman proceeded to steal second during the next at-bat. Casillas, now with a runner in scoring position, knocked a single to center for the RBI to plate Franson for the insurance run and close out the scoring.
 
Game 2
Game two went scoreless in the first, but the Valiants exploded for four runs in the top of the second with a two-out rally. After the first two batters in the inning went down, graduate student Alexis Ventarola (Eastchester, N.Y./Eastchester) got on base with a double to right center, and was immediately plated with an RBI single from Franson, who then stole second during the next at-bat once again. Casillas then reached on an error at second which allowed Franson to score and make it 2-0. Liggett got on base next with a single to the rightfield line to put runners on the corners. A wild pitch allowed her to reach second during the next at-bat, while Casillas trotted home from third to make it 3-0. With runners on the corner once again following a single by senior Desiree Buboi (Villa Park, Calif./Orange Lutheran), classmate Evonne Torres (Hacienda Heights, Calif./Pioneer) ripped an RBI single to center to plate Ligget and make it 4-0.
 
Offense continue for Manhattanville in the top of the fifth as Hartenstein led off with a single to center and was brought home the next at-bat as sophomore Jordyn Boyd (Woodinville, Wash./Woodinville) launched an RBI double to right center. Boyd scored in the next at-bat as senior Sophia Chapelone (Carlsbad, Calif./La Costa Canyon) hit a one-run single to left to make it 6-0 and chase the King's pitcher. With one out, Franson once again reached on a single and once again stole second the next at-bat to put runners on second and third. The new Monarch pitcher let go a wild pitch and Chapelone scored from third to make it 7-0.
 
The scoring ended in the top of the seventh when sophomore Ali Orduna (Orange, Calif./Villa Park) grounded out to short for the RBI as Ventarola scored from third followed her leadoff single in the beginning of the inning. During the next at-bat, rookie Jessi Alvarado (Norwalk, Calif./Gahr) was able to score from third on another wild pitch to make it 9-0.
 
The Valiants return to action this Wednesday, March 27, for an unconventional road game. Manhattanville will be the away team and face MAC Freedom foe Eastern University, but the doubleheader will be played at the Manhattanville Softball Field beginning at 3:00 p.m. – the Eagles home field is currently under construction this season and the squad has been playing all of its official home games at road sites so far.