CLERMONT, Fla. – The Manhattanville College softball team opened up the 2020 season in Clermont, Fla. yesterday Mar. 8. The Valiants split the day as they beat Husson Unviersity and fell to Rhodes College. The Crimson and White took down the Eagles in five innings as they defeated them 10-2. The Lynxs took the lead from the first inning and beat Manhattanville 8-1.
 
The Valiants (1-1) faced the Eagles (1-3) in their first game of the season. Sophomore Giovanna Liggett (Fountain Valley, Calif./Edison) was the first Valiant of the year on base in the bottom of the first after she hit a single towards shortstop. Following Liggett, freshman Abby Tanuma (Chula Vista, Calif./Cathedral Catholic) stepped up to the plate and sent her home with a line drive double to left field. Freshman Charli Shinstine (Encinitas, Calif/San Dieguito Academy) had her first collegiate start on the mound and struck out one Eagle in the bottom of the first.
 
Manhattanville scored two runs off of three hits in the top of the second. Sophomore Maddie Saunders (Oxnard, Calif./Santa Clara) sent in senior Melina Strano (Brewster, N.Y./Brewster) with a triple and then Saunders was brought home by freshman Jayleen Torres (Bellflower, Calif./Downey) after she hit a double to right center. The Valiants kept the 3-0 lead in the bottom of the second with the help of Shistine striking out two batters and a ground out to right field.
 
As the Valiants led 7-2 in the top of the fourth, senior Jaclyn DeLuca (Yonkers, N.Y./Sacred Heart (H.S.)) hit the first homer of the season over to left field. She added another run to the board as she sent in freshman Sarah Harker (Irvine, Calif./Irvine) who was sitting on third home.
 
In the second game of the day, Manhattanville started behind Rhodes (7-7) from the first inning. The Lynxs only had two hits but two runners scored to put them ahead 2-0. The Valiants defense held Rhodes to four at bats in the top of the second as Shistine struck one batter out, Strano threw the ball to sophomore Julia Bucci (Rye Brook, N.Y./Blind Brook) to get a Lynx stealing second out and junior Brooke Franson (Newport Beach, Calif./Corona del Mar) caught a foul out.
 
Manhattanville held Rhodes to two runs for two more innings but put themselves on the board in the bottom of the fourth. Tanuma hit her first collegiate career homerun to bring the Valiants within one. Manhattanville went scoreless for the remainder of the game but had zero errors throughout the entire game.
 
The Valiants will next face Westminster College and Meredith College today, Mar. 9, in the Spring Games in Clermont, Fla. The Crimson and White will first face the Titans at 4:15 P.M. and then the Avenging Angles at 6:15 P.M. both on Legends Way Ballfield.