HOBOKEN, N.J. – The Manhattanville College women's softball team picked up a pair of one-run non-conference road victories Wednesday afternoon, April 24, against Stevens Institute of Technology. The highlight of the day for the Valiants game in the top of the fourth inning of game one, when senior Aarin Hartenstein (Massapequa, N.Y./Plainedge) launched her 32nd-career home run to set the new all-time program record.
 
Game 1
Manhattanville (35-2) managed a little offense in the top of the first with a couple of two-out baserunners, but neither the Valiants or Ducks (17-15) were able to get anything across until the bottom of the third when Stevens to a 1-0 lead following a two-out RBI single that made it 1-0.
 
With one runner on in the top of the fourth and no outs, Hartenstein instantly put Manhattanville ahead 2-1 with one swing – that also put herself atop the record books with 32 career home runs. In the next half inning, Stevens tied up back up at 2-2 with another two-out one-run single. The Valiants, however, picked up two more runs to make it 4-2 in the top of the fifth. Sophomore Brooke Franson (Newport Beach, Calif./Corona del Mar) led off with a bunt single, and then scored following a throwing error on the catcher during the next at-bat. Senior Evonne Torres (Hacienda Heights, Calif./Pioneer) later doubled up the middle to plate sophomore Isela Casillas (Chula Vista, Calif./Eastlake) to make it 4-2.
 
The Ducks scratched one across in the bottom of the inning to make it a one-run game once again following yet another two-out RBI single. Fortunately for the Valiants, both squads were held scoreless for the remainder of the game and Manhattanville came away with the 4-3 win.
 
Graduate student Alycia Feeney (Brewster, N.Y./Brewster) picked up the win, her 14th of the season, in 5.0 innings of work where she allowed three earned runs on eight hits with seven strikeouts. After no players on the roster recording a save until yesterday, Tuesday, April 23, sophomore Jasmine Feliciano (Suffern, N.Y./Suffern) came in a pitched the final 2.0 innings in relief to secure her second save of the season. She allowed just two hits and struck out three.
 
Game 2
It was another close one for the Valiants and Ducks in game two, but Manhattanville ultimately prevailed 5-4 despite a seventh-inning surge from Stevens. The Valiants came out hot in the top of the first and scored three runs to take an early 3-0 lead. Casillas led off with a single and rookie Giovanna Liggett (Fountain Valley, Calif./Edison) immediately cleared the bases with sixth home run of the season. Later in the inning, with two outs and Torres on second, sophomore Jordyn Boyd (Woodinville, Wash./Woodinville) knocked an RBI single to leftcenterfield to make it 3-0.
 
Stevens got one back with an RBI single in the bottom of the second to make it 3-1, but the Valiants got it back in the next half inning thanks to an RBI single up the middle from sophomore Ali Orduna (Orange, Calif./Villa Park). Manhattanville eventually scored what would be its game-winning fifth run of the game in the top of the fourth when graduate student Alexis Ventarola (Eastchester, N.Y./Eastchester) led off with a solo home run – her sixth of the season.
 
The Ducks scratched one across in the bottom of the fourth, but then both teams stayed quiet until the bottom of the seventh. Stevens entered the inning and made a game of it thanks to a two-run, two-out double to leftcenterfield that made it 5-4. Fortunately, Feliciano induced a game-ending groundout to short to seal the victory.
 
Hartenstein started the game in the circle, allowing two earned runs on six hits with four strikeouts, but since she pitched 3.1 innings, Feliciano picked up the win. The sophomore threw 3.2 innings of two-run ball on just two hits while also striking out four for her fifth victory of the season.
 
Manhattanville will return to action this Saturday, April 27, for its regular-season finale – a Middle Atlantic Conference (MAC) Freedom doubleheader on Senior Day at home against DeSales University. Game one is scheduled to begin at 2:00 p.m. as the Valiants bid farewell to six members of its nationally ranked program – Ventarola, Feeney, Hartenstein, Torres and classmates Sophia Chapelone (Carlsbad, Calif./La Costa Canyon) and Desiree Buboi (Villa Park, Calif./Orange Lutheran).