DANBURY, Conn. – The Manhattanville College softball team concluded its non-conference schedule on Wednesday, swapping shutouts on the road in a doubleheader at Western Connecticut State. The split moves the Valiants to 20-14 overall on the year.

Game One Recap: Manhattanville 2, WestConn 0
Runs came at a premium in the opener, but it was Charli Shinstine (Encinitas, Calif./San Dieguito Academy) emerging victorious in the pitching duel as the Valiants were able to provide enough offense for the junior to get the job done in the circle.

The Skyline Conference's win leader picked up her 12^th victory of the season with yet another masterful pitching performance. Shinstine went a complete seven innings, allowing just three hits and a pair of walks while striking out seven. The Encinitas, California product continues to inch closer to the program's single-season strikeout record, now 21 shy with her total for the year at 157 punchouts.

Shinstine had a lead to work with before throwing her first pitch as the Valiants scratched out a run in the first. Jayleen Torres (Downey, Calif./Downey) reached on an error to open up the game, advancing to third on a Samantha Walsh (Spring City, Pa./Owen J Roberts) single and a Giovanna Liggett (Huntington Beach, Calif./Edison) groundout. Amaya Esparza (Descansco, Calif./Granite Hills) cashed in on the runner on third with a sacrifice fly to shallow left field, bringing Torres to the plate with the opening run.

Walsh would go 4-for-4 in the opener, driving in the Valiant insurance run in the third with her second hit of the affair. Torres led off the frame with a single before Walsh doubled to the gap in left center as Torres sprinted across the bases to come all the way around to score. Walsh would remain stranded at second, but it ultimately wouldn't matter the way Shinstine was dealing.

WestConn would not get a runner to third base until the fourth inning as the Wolves had runners advance to second and third on a passed ball. Shinstine shrugged off the threat, inducing a groundout to herself to escape the jam. She wouldn't face any more trouble until the seventh as WestConn recorded a pair of singles, but the junior ace notched her final strikeout of the night before getting a pop up in foul territory to earn the win.

Game Two Recap: Manhattanville 0, WestConn 8 (Five Innings)
After nine hits in Game One, the Valiant bats faltered in the nightcap, managing just one hit against Hailey Golembiewski as WestConn was able to earn the victory via run rule in five.

Walsh hit a first inning single, but despite three WestConn errors and drawing four walks, the offense was unable to find the key hit it needed in the finale, suffering their first run rule loss since March 6.

The Wolves were able to capitalize on Valiant mistakes early, as Manhattanville committed three errors in the first inning that ultimately resulted in four runs coming across to score. A leadoff homer and a triple in the second brought an early end to Emily Mottoshiski's (Craryville, N.Y./Taconic Hills) pitching night, charged with six runs (four earned) in an inning-plus of work, striking out one. Walsh took over the rest of the way in the circle, allowing one earned run on four hits in three innings.

The Valiants were able to load the bases in both the fourth and fifth innings through errors, walks, and hit by pitches, but all the runners remained stranded as Golembiewski tightroped out of danger to earn her seventh win of the season with the shutout.

Up Next
The season concludes this weekend with a pair of Skyline doubleheaders. Up first, its Senior Day on Saturday as the Valiants play host to Old Westbury at noon.

VALIANTS on SOCIAL MEDIA For the latest on Manhattanville Athletics, follow the Valiants via social media on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter and YouTube. #GoValiants #RollVals