LEESBURG, Fla. – Two wins were added to the Manhattanville College softball teams record yesterday, Mar. 12. They faced Coe College and Catholic University in Florida for the Spring Games. The Valiants dominated the Kohawks 11-0 in six innings and took down the Cardinals with a four run rally in the seventh inning to walk off with a 9-8 win.
 
In game one of the day, the Valiants (6-2) got three runs off in the first inning against Coe (1-0). Freshman Jayleen Torres (Bellflower, Calif./Downey) and junior Isela Casillas (Chula Vista, Calif./Eastlake) led Manhattanville off and both were walked. Sophomore Giovanna Liggett (Fountain Valley, Calif./Edison) followed at bat. She put herself on first and batted Torres in. Casillas and Liggett were later sent home by senior Jaclyn DeLuca (Yonkers, N.Y./Sacred Heart (H.S.)) to put the Valiants ahead in the top of the first.
 
The Crimson and White notched their fourth run in the top of the second. Senior Melina Strano (Brewster, N.Y./Brewster) was walked to start the inning off but made it to second base after senior Brooke Franson (Newport Beach, Calif./Corona del Mar) made a sacrifice bunt. Strano was later on third when Casillas hit a sacrifice fly out to left field to bring Strano home.
 
The bottom of the second was a quick at bat for the Kohawks. Freshman Charli Shinstine (Encinitas, Calif/San Dieguito Academy) struck one batter out looking while one Coe player flied out to freshman Mahkenzy Lewis (Beaumont, Calif./Beaumont) and the other popped out to Liggett. Manhattanville added two more runs to the score in the top of the third and fifth. In the third, DeLuca hit a homerun to advance the score 5-0. In the fifth, freshman Abby Tanuma (Chula Vista, Calif./Cathedral Catholic) hit her first collegiate career homerun to make the score 6-0.
 
As the Valiants had the lead in the top of the sixth, they made a huge rally to put them ahead by 11 towards the end of the inning. Lewis got the bats swinging as she led off with a single. Lewis along with sophomore Maddie Saunders (Oxnard, Calif./Santa Clara), freshman Sarah Harker (Irvine, Calif./Irvine), Dani Nii (Orange, Calif./El Modena) and Torres scored in this inning. The five runs brought in put the Valiants up 11-0. The Kohawks could not respond to the rally to let the game go into seven innings.
 
In the following game, Manhattanville had the lead over Catholic (7-5) which lasted until the sixth inning when the Cardinals went up by three. To get the score up early Liggett hit a single to put herself on first. After a few pitches Liggett found herself on third when DeLuca was at bat. DeLuca reached first on an error made by Catholics third baseman but brought Liggett home. Following DeLuca, Harker brought in Tanuma to make the score 2-0 to end the bottom of the first. 
 
The Valiants made a quick three outs at the top of a the second and third as junior Jasmine Feliciano (Suffern, N.Y./Suffern) had one strikeout and the Valiants fielders made two ground outs, two pop outs and a foul out. Later, DeLuca hit her second homerun of the day in to bottom of the third. She hit the ball to center field and brought Tanuma in to add two runs to the score.
 
The last run the Valiants made before the Cardnials started their campaign was scored by Casillas. She was brought in from second after Tanuma hit a double to right field. In the top of the sixth the Valiants let their lead go as Catholic scored eight runs.
 
The Valiants could not reply with any runs in the bottom of the sixth and had to hold their ground in the field to try and make a comeback as they trailed 8-5. Shinstine pitched one strikeout and two balls were sent to Torres at shortstop who threw it to Franson on first for two ground outs.
 
Manhattanville's last at bat was a successful run to bring home the win. The bases were loaded when DeLuca was hit by a pitch. It brought in Casillas to make the score 8-6. With two outs and three runners on base Lewis stepped up to the plate. With two strikes on her, on the third pitch Lewis hit a double to center field. Her hit brought in DeLuca, Tanuma and Liggett to bring home the 9-8 victory.
 
The Valiants final day of play in the Spring Games will be played today, Mar. 13 in Clermont, Fla. They will face Clarkson University at 9:15 a.m. and Lesley University at 1:45 p.m. at the Hancock Recreational Complex.