PURCHASE, N.Y. – The Manhattanville College softball team, ranked No. 16 in the most recent National Fastpitch Coaches Association (NFCA) Division III Top 25 poll, picked up a pair of non-conference victories Wednesday afternoon, April 10, over William Paterson University.
 
The Valiants (24-1) bested the Pioneers (14-10) in game one by a score of 5-0 in seven innings, and then picked up the victory in the second half of the doubleheader 8-0 in five innings.
 
Game 1
Graduate student Alycia Feeney (Brewster, N.Y./Brewster) stepped in the circle for Manhattanville and tossed 7.0 scoreless innings while striking out six.
 
After a scoreless top half of the first, the Valiants put up three runs in the bottom of the inning thanks to a two-run, one-out single from senior Aaron Hartenstein. Senior Desiree Buboi (Villa Park, Calif./Orange Lutheran) scored from third on a wild pitch in the following at-bat to make it 3-0.
 
The Valiants scored one more in the bottom of the second when rookie Giovanna Liggett (Fountain Valley, Calif./Edison) came to the plate with two outs and runners on the corners. The freshman third baseman singled up the middle to score graduate student Alexis Ventarola (Eastchester, N.Y./Eastchester) from third and make it 4-0. After several more scoreless innings, Manhattanville scored its final run in the game on a two-out double to right from senior Sophia Chapelone (Carlsbad, Calif./La Costa Canyon) to score classmate Evonne Torres (Hacienda Heights, Calif./Pioneer) from third.
 
Game 2
Hartenstein starred for the Valiants in the second game as she picked up her 11th win of the season in the circle with 5.0 scoreless innings while allowing just two hits. She also went 2-for-3 at the plate with a career-high-tying five RBI and a home run – the 31st of her career, while places her one back of tying the program's all-time record of 32.
 
Manhattanville once again took the lead early and scored four in the bottom of the first. Buboi plated sophomore Isela Casillas (Chula Vista, Calif./Eastlake) with a single through the right side. Then, with two outs, Hartenstein came to bat with runners on the corners and sent one a long way over the centerfield fence for her sixth home run of the season to make it 4-0.
 
The Valiants scored again in the bottom of the second went Hartenstein singled through the right side with two outs to score Buboi from second. In the next home half inning, Casillas notched an RBI with a two-out single up the middle to score Chapelone from third. In the bottom of the fourth, Buboi scored on an error to make it 7-0. Then, in the bottom of the fifth, rookie Madison Saunders ended the game with a hard hit ball that couldn't be played by the Pioneer first baseman, giving junior Samantha Jedrey (La Canada Flintridge, Calif./La Canada) enough time to score from second to make it 8-0 and enforce the eight-run rule.
 
Manhattanville returns to the field for Middle Atlantic Conference (MAC) Freedom action this Saturday, April 13, when Misericordia University comes to Purchase. The Valiants and Cougars are scheduled to begin their doubleheader at 1:00 p.m.