PURCHASE, N.Y. – In a clash of the Skyline Conference's top two teams, the Manhattanville College softball team split a Saturday doubleheader with Farmingdale State earlier today. The Valiants move to 19-13 overall and 12-2 in conference play following the split.
Game One Recap: Manhattanville 5, Farmingdale 1
A four-run first inning and
Charli Shinstine (Encinitas, Calif./San Dieguito Academy) once again dealing in the circle led the Valiants to victory in the opener, handing the Rams their first conference loss of the season.
After hitting the leadoff batter with a pitch, Shinstine worked her way out of the first inning with a pair of strikeouts before
Amaya Esparza (Descansco, Calif./Granite Hills) threw out Lindsey Shaw at second on a stolen base attempt to retire the side. With the scoreless top half, the Valiant bats went to work.
Jayleen Torres (Downey, Calif./Downey) led off with a double ahead of a
Samantha Walsh (Spring City, Pa./Owen J Roberts) walk. The Valiants then ran a double steal, with Torres scoring after the throw was off target.
Giovanna Liggett (Huntington Beach, Calif./Edison) then plated Walsh one batter later with a single. A Farmingdale error prolonged the inning, allowing
Melissa Lopez (Whittier, Calif./California) to line a two run double and give the Valiants a 4-0 lead.
The score held there until the fifth when the Rams got on the board with a Priscilla Rivera RBI single. Manhattanville responded in quick order as Torres lined her third double of the afternoon to score
Olivia Fasce (Yorktown Heights, N.Y./Yorktown), who reached on a double of her own, to reestablish the four run lead for the Valiants.
Shinstine held the Rams to one hit over the final two innings with no baserunner advancing past second base to close out the game. The junior's final statline read seven innings, allowing one run on five hits and two walks while striking out nine. Shinstine continues to lead the Skyline Conference in opposing batting average (.200), innings pitched (123), strikeouts (162), and wins (12).
Game Two Recap: Manhattanville 2, Farmingdale 5
The Rams offense scored all their runs in the last three innings to strike late and take the finale to earn the split on Saturday.
It took until the fourth inning for either team to get on the board, when
Abby Tanuma (Chula Vista, Calif./Cathedral Catholic), making her season debut, knocked an RBI single that brought Liggett home. The Rams finally got to
Emily Mottoshiski (Craryville, N.Y./Taconic Hills) in the circle in the fifth, as Shaw scored the tying run on an error while Ava Shorr drew a bases loaded walk to plate Rivera to give the Rams their first lead of the day.
After Farmingdale tacked on one more in the sixth, Liggett responded with her conference-leading eighth home run of the season, a solo shot that pulled the Valiants back within one. With Manhattanville breathing down their necks, the Rams regained some distance with two runs in the seventh. With two away in the bottom half, the Valiants got the tying run to the plate after Torres and Walsh hit singles, but Liggett would roll over on one to short to snuff out the rally and give the Rams the victory.
Mottoshiski would go six innings-plus, leaving after allowing three hits in the top of the seventh without retiring a batter. She would be charged with five runs (four earned) on eight hits while striking out two. Walsh would get record the three outs in the inning, allowing one hit in her sixth pitching appearance of the year.
Up Next
The Valiants conclude their non-conference slate on Wednesday, playing a doubleheader in Danbury at WestConn. Game One is scheduled for a 4 p.m. start.
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