SALISBURY, Md. – The 2024 Manhattanville University softball season came to a close on Friday in the NCAA Regionals. After defeating Eastern earlier in the day to survive the first elimination game, the Valiants were defeated by No. 11 Randolph-Macon to officially close the book on the softball season. Manhattanville ends the year with a 32-12 record on the season.

Game One Recap: Manhattanville 2, Eastern 1 (Elimination Game)
A day removed from being no-hit in the opening game of the Regional Tournament, the Valaints squared off against Eastern in a win-or-go-home stipulation. Some timely hitting coupled with a great outing by Charli Shinstine (Encinitas, Calif./San Dieguito Academy) in the graduate pitcher's final college game led Manhattanville to the win as the team earned a regional victory for a second-consecutive year.

The Eagles struck in the first inning as Ainsley O'Donnell set the table with a leadoff walk. The outfielder advanced to second on a ground out and up to third on a single. Tori Hook dropped in a single to right field to plate O'Donnell, but a bullet of a throw by Sarah Harker (Irvine, Calif./Irvine) in right was on the money to catcher Amaya Esparza (San Diego, Calif./Granite Hills) who slapped the tag on the trail runner. The inning drew to a close the following at-bat as Shinstine recorded her first strikeout of the day.

Shinstine surrendered just two more hits over the remainder of the game as she locked in after the first inning. The 2023 All-American finished with just the one run allowed on four hits, a pair of walks and a hit-by-pitch while striking out nine to earn the first NCAA Tournament victory of her illustrious career.

As Shinstine dealt, the Valiants faced a tough arm on the other side in the form of Danika Barthol. The Eagles' ace entered the game having allowed more than one run just three times over the course of her rookie season. Tacked to an early lead, Barthol held the Valiants to one hit the first time through the lineup.

However, the Valiants got the opportunity they needed in the fourth as Samantha Walsh (Spring City, Pa./Owen J Roberts) reached to lead off the inning on an Eagle error. Manhattanville immediately made Eastern pay for the free runner as Harker drilled a ball to center, allowing Walsh to circle the bases. While Harker was gunned down on the relay at third, the tying run brought life to the Manhattanville dugout. Two batters later, Rachel Coleman (Lake Forest, Calif./Mission Viejo) blasted a solo home run over the right field fence to put the Valiants in front for the first time in the NCAA Tournament.

The homer was the difference maker as Shinstine held the Eagles off the board the rest of the way home. The California native worked around singles in the fifth and sixth before nailing the door shut with three strikeouts in the seventh to keep the Valiants' postseason run alive.

Game Two Recap: Manhattanville 4, No. 11 Randolph-Macon 6 (Elimination Game)
Playing a second nationally ranked team in as many days, the Valiants battled against the No. 11 Yellow Jackets but ultimately fell just short in the second elimination game of the day to bring an end to the Manhattanville season.

As was the case in the earlier game, the Valiants found themselves in a hole before getting a chance at bat. Amanda Lanyon greeted Emily Mottoshiski (Craryville, N.Y./Taconic Hills) after warm-ups with an infield single. The junior proceeded to steal second and later scored on a throwing error to put Randolph-Macon up 1-0.

A pair of errors led to the Yellow Jackets adding an insurance run in the top of the third. The Valiants collected two hits across the first three innings but were unable to string offense together until the fourth. Walsh played the role of catalyst again, drawing a leadoff walk and getting up to third o a Harker single that brought Esparza up to bat. The senior catcher deposited one over the left field wall, a three-run homer that put the Valiants in front.

The Yellow Jackets wasted little time getting even and ultimately retaking the lead as they plated a pair in the top of the fifth. Rilee Baughan and Gracie Ellis each drove in a run in the frame. Randolph-Macon tacked on two more insurance runs in the sixth that proved to be crucial. The Valiants scratched out a run in the bottom of the sixth, with Harker getting a rally started with a one-out single. Esparza moved the graduate outfielder up into scoring position with a single before Coleman laced a ball back up the middle to bring Harker home. With the tying runs in scoring position, Ellis got the Valaints to hit into a pair of pop ups to escape the jam with the lead intact.

Ellis improved to 20-1 on the year after striking out the side in the seventh to close out the game.

Mottoshiski closes out her junior season with a 12-4 record, pitching all seven innings in the loss while allowing six runs (five earned) on 10 hits and three walks while striking out four.

In her final collegiate game, Harker finished 3-for-3 to bring her final batting average to .543. It is the third-highest single-season batting average in program history, while her .456 career average is the second-best ever posted by a Valiant.

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