PURCHASE, N.Y. – The Manhattanville College softball team continued their winning ways on Wednesday afternoon, sweeping a pair of non-conference games against the Stevens Institute of Technology. The Valiants extend their winning streak to ten games following the victories, improving to 14-4 on the season.
Game One Recap: Manhattanville 4, Stevens 1
It was another masterful performance in the circle from
Charli Shinstine (Encinitas, Calif./San Dieguito Academy) to lead the way in the opener as the Valiant starter improved to 9-0 on the season. The senior went the distance, allowing just one unearned run on three hits while striking out 10. Shinstine's ERA continues to fall as it now stands at 0.65, tied for the ninth-lowest in the country.
Despite the end result, the Ducks were able to plate a run off of Shinstine in the first. With one away, Shinstine came out of the circle to field a bunt off the bat of Meg Halloran, throwing wide of the bag to allow the Ducks' center fielder to reach safely and advance to second. After a groundout, Halloran crossed the plate on Madison Subbiondo's infield single to take the early lead.
The Valiants responded in the second by taking advantage of a fielding miscue themselves. With two gone in the frame,
Cady Sickler (Kingston, N.Y./Kingston) rolled over one to short. The ball was mishandled, allowing her to get on base while
Juliana Parkes (Victoria, British Columbia, Canada/Belmont Secondary) and
Samantha Walsh (Spring City, Pa./Owen J Roberts) came across the score to put the Valiants in front 2-1.
Manhattanville would score the game's first earned run in the third,
Sarah Harker (Irvine, Calif./Irvine) reached on a one out single through the left side of the infield and advanced to third on a groundout.
Sydni Brooks (Anaheim, Calif./Cypress) delivered with another liner through the left side to bring home Harker with an insurance run. The Valiants tacked on one more on a Walsh single in the sixth that scored Brooks after reaching on a double.
Shinstine held the Ducks to just two hits across the final six innings as she shrugged off the first inning. Stevens would not get a runner past second base for the remainder of the game, with Shinstine putting a capper on the game with a pair of strikeouts in the seventh. Shinstine has 89 strikeouts, 23 ahead of any other pitcher in the Skyline Conference.
Game Two Recap: Manhattanville 4, Stevens 3
The Valiants started off the backend of Wednesday's action with a run in the first inning.
Jayleen Torres (Bellflower, Calif./Downey) set the table with a lead off double and a steal of third.
Olivia Fasce (Yorktown Heights, N.Y./Yorktown) dropped down a bunt in the following at-bat as Torres raced home with the game's first run.
The scored held 1-0 in favor of Manhattanville into the third inning. The Ducks would have their best inning of the duration of the doubleheader in their at bats in the top half of the frame, plating three runs on four hits to go ahead 3-1. Halloran tied up the game with an infield single before Subbiondo delivered the big blow, a bases loaded single that scored a pair with still nobody out.
Emily Mottoshiski (Craryville, N.Y./Taconic Hills) was able to tightrope her way out of a nightmare inning by getting a double play lineout in the following at bat before an infield pop up ended the inning with just three runs allowed.
The Valiants were quick to pick up their starter in the bottom half as Harker drilled a two-out double to center to score Torres and Fasce with the tying runs.
The game remained deadlocked at 3-3 as pitching gained the upper hand through the middle innings. It wouldn't be until the sixth when another run would cross the plate. With two away and runners on first and second, Walsh delivered a clutch single back up the middle to plate Harker with what would prove to be the winning run. Mottoshiski set down the side in order in the seventh with three ground outs to complete the sweep.
The sophomore Mottoshiski improved to 5-4 on the season with the win, allowing the three runs on seven hits and a walk while striking out four. She has now won each of her last five starts.
Torres finished with two hits in the finale while adding a pair of stolen bases.
Up Next
The Valiants resume Skyline play with a pair of weekend doubleheaders. Up first is a pair in Newburgh against Mount Saint Mary beginning at noon.
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