FARMINGDALE, N.Y. – For the second-consecutive year and the 13
th time in program history, the Manhattanville University softball team are conference champions. The Valiants defeated Old Westbury by a final of 10-1 in five innings on Saturday afternoon to claim the team's fifth Skyline Conference title to punch their ticket to the 2024 NCAA Tournament.
The Valiant offense got on the board early and often, plating ten runs on ten hits across the five innings. It was an extremely quick start for a team that was no stranger to putting up big numbers all year long.
Isabella Tansey (San Diego, Calif./University City) was hit by a pitch to lead off the game and advanced to third on
Samantha Walsh's (Spring City, Pa./Owen J Roberts) bunt single. That brought
Sarah Harker (Irvine, Calif./Irvine) up to the plate, who had been held hitless in the tournament entering Saturday. The graduate outfielder broke the cold spell in convincing fashion, getting started by lacing a bullet to right. Harker raced around the bases with an inside the park home run, giving the Valiants a 3-0 lead without an out recorded.
Given a three-run lead before even stepping into the circle for the first time,
Charli Shinstine (Encinitas, Calif./San Dieguito Academy) was given the start for a third-straight day. The graduate pitcher was up to task once again, going the distance to earn tournament Most Outstanding Player honors. Shinstine allowed just one unearned run in the affair on four hits and a walk while striking out eight. Over the last three days, Shinstine posted a 3-0 record while allowing just three runs (two earned) and striking out 20.
Shinstine did see traffic in the bottom of the first as a walk and a two-out single put runners on the corner, but was able to get the inning-ending ground out to escape unscathed.
The Valiants added another run in the second as Harker's big day continued, hitting a triple that scored
Olivia Fasce (Yorktown Heights, N.Y./Yorktown). An inning later, Manhattanville capitalized on extra opportunities as with two outs, Fasce reached on a muffed throw that allowed pinch runner
Madison Gonzales (Azusa, Calif./Sacred Heart) to score from second. Tansey then delivered a two-run single to score
Alexa Lazur (Carlsbad, Calif./La Costa Canyon) and Fasce, extending the lead up to 7-0.
An RBI single off the bat of
Amaya Esparza (San Diego, Calif./Granite Hills) in the fourth that plated Harker and a two-run
Samantha Walsh (Spring City, Pa./Owen J Roberts) single in the fifth to plate Fasce and
Sydni Brooks (Anaheim, Calif./Cypress) rounded out the Manhattanville scoring barrage.
The Panthers ultimately broke through in the team's final at-bats as Gianna DiLillo hit a one-out single and advanced up to second on a throwing error. She further advanced to third on a ground out and came home on a wild pitch, but Shinstine was able to shrug off the blemish and strike out Madison Danin to end the game and send Manhattanville to the NCAA Tournament for the 11
th time in program history.
Harker finished 3-for-4 at the plate, falling a double shy of the cycle. Walsh also finished with a multi-hit day, while both Harker and Fasce successfully stole a base.
Up Next
The Valiants will find out their NCAA Tournament destination on Monday at 11 a.m. as part of the NCAA Division III selection show. More information will be available on govaliants.com next week.
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