VIRGINIA BEACH, VA. – In a contest that saw 10 total runs in the first three-and-a-half innings, the Manhattanville College softball team was unable to come out on top following eight total scoreless innings from the bottom of the fourth to the top of the 12th as the Valiants fell in an extra innings contest to the University of Lynchburg by a score of 6-5 Friday afternoon, May 10, in the first game of the Virginia Beach Regional – hosted by Virginia Wesleyan University – in the 2019 NCAA Division III Softball Championship.
 
Manhattanville (40-3) and Lynchburg (33-12) – ranked No. 13 and No. 17 in the most recent National Fastpitch Coaches Association (NFCA) Top 25 Poll, respectively – played evenly all day long. The starting pitchers for both teams combined for 4.1 total innings, as the pair was undone by tough respective third innings. For the Valiants, following the early exit from graduate student Alycia Feeney (Brewster, N.Y./Brewster), senior Aarin Hartenstein (Massapequa, N.Y./Plainedge) entered the circle and pitched a career-best 9.0 strong innings, allowing two earned runs on four hits with a strikeout. Unfortunately, one of those two runs came in the bottom of the 12th for the walk-off home run to give Lynchburg the victory.
 
The game started out quickly, as senior Desiree Buboi (Villa Park, Calif./Orange Lutheran) reached with a two-out single up the middle and was immediately plated by classmate Evonne Torres' (Hacienda Heights, Calif./Pioneer) double to left centerfield in the top of the first. Lynchburg came right back in the bottom half and scored a pair to take the 2-1 lead, which remained through the second inning.
 
Both offenses broke loose in the third, beginning with Manhattanville in the top half. Sophomore Brooke Franson (Newport Beach, Calif./Corona del Mar) led off the inning with her second triple of the season and her classmate Isela Casillas (Chula Vista, Calif./Eastlake) reached next following an error. With runners on the corners, rookie Giovanna Liggett (Fountain Valley, Calif./Edison) knocked in Franson from third with a single to left. One out later, Torres collected her second RBI of the day with a single up the middle to plate Casillas. Hartenstein closed out the inning with a one-run double to left to plate Liggett and give the Valiants a 4-2 lead – their largest of the day – and force the game's first pitching change.
 
The bottom of the inning started roughly for the Valiants as well as Feeney walked the first two batters and was replaced by Hartenstein. The senior got a couple of quick outs, but walked in a run and gave up a two-run single as well – all charged to Feeney. The Hornets now led 5-4.
 
In the top of the fourth, the Valiants loaded the bases and Buboi stepped to the plate. The program's all-time hits leader delivered, plating senior Sophia Chapelone (Carlsbad, Calif./La Costa Canyon) from third with an RBI single to left to tie it up.
 
In the next two-and-a-half innings, neither squad was able to manage a hit or a run. Buboi hit a one-out single in the top of the seventh, but nothing came of it. The next best scoring chance for either squad came in the top of the eight during a two-out Manhattanville rally. Senior Alexis Ventarola (Eastchester, N.Y./Eastchester) reached on a walk, junior Samantha Jedrey (La Canada Flintridge, Calif./La Canada) reached on a pinch hit single up the middle and Casillas followed with a walk to load the bases. Unfortunately, Liggett hit into an inning-ending fielder's choice that halted the momentum. In the next half inning, Casillas had likely the highlight of the day for Manhattanville with her inning-ending diving catch on a shallow line drive hit to centerfield. The sophomore also tied the program record with a 19-game hitting streak – she tied with Buboi, who had a 19-game hitting streak last season.
 
As mentioned, neither team was able to touch up the scoreboard and the contest continued into extra innings before Lynchburg ended it with a home run. The game clocked in at 3:14 and was the longest contest for Manhattanville since its previous 12-inning game back in 2010 against Middle Atlantic Conference (MAC) Freedom foe DeSales University.
 
The Valiants are scheduled to return to the field tomorrow afternoon, Saturday, May 11, at 12:00 p.m., pending any inclement weather, when they will face the University of Scranton in an elimination game.