THOUSAND OAKS, Calif. – The Manhattanville College softball team began their 10-game season-opening California road trip on Sunday evening, splitting a doubleheader at California Lutheran. After winning the opener 5-1, the Valiants were outslugged by the Regals in a 14-10 loss in the finale to open up the season 1-1.
Game One Recap: Manhattanville 5, Cal Lutheran 1
It was a phenomenal start to the season for
Charli Shinstine (Encinitas, Calif./San Dieguito Academy) in the circle as the pitcher began her senior season right where she left off following her tremendous 2022. The Valiant starter tossed a complete seven innings, allowing just one run on three hits and five walks while striking out 13.
With Shinstine dealing, the Valiants got her an early lead in the first.
Jayleen Torres (Bellflower, Calif./Downey) drew a leadoff walk, stealing second and advancing to third on a groundout. She would come around to score on a
Sarah Harker (Irvine, Calif./Irvine) RBI groundout as Manhattanville scored their first run of the season.
The score held 1-0 in favor of the Valiants until the third. After being held hitless through the first 2.1 innings, Olivia Vargas got a hold of one to take Shinstine deep over the left field wall. That would prove to be the only blemish on the Manhattanville starter's outing.
Pitching continued holding the upper hand through the first five innings as the score remained 1-1. Manhattanville would retake the lead in the sixth as a Regals error with the bases loaded allowed Torres and
Madison Gonzales (Azusa, Calif./Sacred Heart) to score a pair of unearned runs.
Samantha Walsh (Spring City, Pa./Owen J Roberts) drove in a pair of insurance runs in the sixth with a bases loaded single to score
Olivia Fasce (Yorktown Heights, N.Y./Yorktown) and
Isabella Tansey (San Diego, Calif./University City). With a lead once again, Shinstine worked around a pair of seventh inning singles by recording her final three strikeouts to earn the win.
Game Two Recap: Manhattanville 10, Cal Lutheran 14
Pitching gave way to batting in the finale of the twinbill as the Valiants and Regals combined for 24 runs on 25 hits.
The Regals pieced together a two out rally in the bottom of the first as Ariana Mendoza hit an RBI single before being chased home on an Abby Lockman triple. The Valiants were quick to erase their first deficit of the season with five runs on three hits in the second. A single, walk and hit by pitch loaded up the bases for
Melissa Lopez (Whittier, Calif./California), who delivered with a double to plate
Amaya Esparza (Descanso, Calif./Granite Hills) and
Rachel Coleman (Lake Forest, Calif./Mission Viejo) with the tying runs. An error allowed
Sydni Brooks (Anaheim, Calif./Cypress) to put the Valiants in front before Torres hit another double to scored Lopez and Gonzales, putting the Valiants up 5-2.
The Regals pulled back within one in the bottom of the second, scoring a pair of runs on four hits. Fasce responded in the third with a two run double to left center before Harker hit an RBI single in the fourth to put the Valiants ahead 8-4.
Cal Lutheran continued to hit in the fourth, putting up three more runs to bring an end to
Emily Mottoshiski's (Craryville, N.Y./Taconic Hills) start. The Valiants turned back to Shinstine to preserve the lead as the senior struck out a pair to close out the inning and keep Manhattanville in front 8-7.
While the Valiants were unable to extend their lead in the fifth, the Regals would finally get to Shinstine in the bottom half as Mendoza doubled to left field to bring home a pair to put the home team back in front, 9-8. Manhattanville responded in the sixth as Esparza connected with the Valiants' first home run of the season, clearing the right field wall with a two-run blast.
The Regals once again came back in the following half inning, tying up the contest on a Genevieve Avalos RBI single before Makayla Lopez hit a three run homer to left. Cal Luthern added one more run on a sac fly later in the inning, flipping the game on its head one last time heading into the seventh.
Juliana Parkes (Victoria, British Columbia, Canada/Belmont Secondary) hit a single in the Valiants' final chance at bat, but that would be all for Manhattanville as the Regals closed out the win.
Up Next
Manhattanville heads to Whittier College tomorrow for a pair of games against the Poets starting at noon, Pacific Time.
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