PURCHASE, N.Y. – Snatching victory from the jaws of defeat, the Manhattanville University softball team rallied for a seven-run sixth inning to complete a six-run comeback in Game One of Tuesday's doubleheader against FDU-Florham, ultimately sweeping the two-game set against the Devils. Manhattanville improves to 17-7 win the victories, now winners of six straight.
Game One Recap: Manhattanville 9, FDU-Florham 8
Down by six entering the sixth inning, the Valiants erupted for seven runs on seven hits to flip Game One on its head, completing one of the most thrilling comebacks in recent memory.
After being held to just two hits after their two-run first inning, Manhattanville was running out of time to get something going against FDU's starter Giana Abinanti.
Sydni Brooks (Anaheim, Calif./Cypress) got the inning started with a leadoff single before
Lianna Lara (Santa Clarita, Calif./Sierra Canyon School) hugged a ball fair down the third base line for a pinch hit single to put a pair on. Both runners advanced on a wild pitch, allowing
Johanna Granillo (Reseda, Calif./Cleveland) to drive home the first run of the inning, finding the hole on the left side of the infield for another pinch hit base knock.
Breanna Ochoa (South Gate, Calif./Saint Joseph) and
Emma Foster (Santa Barbara, Calif./San Marcos) kept the line moving with back-to-back RBI singles to make it an 8-5 game before
Josie O'Leary (Pawling, N.Y./Pawling) drew a walk to load the bases and bring the go-ahead run up to the plate.
Isabella Tansey (San Diego, Calif./University City) proceed to drive a ball to the outfield to plate two as the would-be tying run was gunned down on a relay throw home. It ultimately would prove not to matter, as
Angelina Cruz (Oceanside, Calif./Rancho Buena Vista) capped off the big inning with a two-run homer on her second deep fly of the season to bring the Valiants back from the grave, leading 9-8 entering the seventh.
After
Jori Wilkendorf (Livermore, Calif./Livermore) was roughed up for six runs (four earned) across 2.2 innings of work,
Hyli De Los Santos (Tustin, Calif./Irvine) was able to hold down the fort to allow the Valiants to mount the comeback. Coming on in the third inning with a pair of runners on, the sophomore struck out Alison Wysocki to escape the inherited trouble. De Los Santos would surrender two runs in the fourth but was able to limit the damage by getting an inning-ending double play to keep the deficit where it was.
De Los Santos continued to work her way out of trouble over the rest of the outing, navigating a two-out error and single in the fifth and a leadoff single in the sixth to keep the Devils off the board after the fourth. Working in front after the sixth-inning heroics, the sophomore got three groundouts on five pitches to secure her second win of the season.
In all, De Los Santos worked 4.1 innings and was charged the two runs on five hits and a walk while striking out one. Wilkendorf's final line was six runs (four earned) on seven hits across the 2.2 innings, walking one and striking out one in the no decision.
Prior to the Devils taking the lead on the six-run second, the Valiants led early with two runs in the first. Foster and O'Leary led off with a single and a walk, with one run scoring on a Tansey single and the second coming around on Cruz' fielder's choice.
Tansey went 3-for-4, credited with three RBI in the opening win. Foster was the only other Valiant with multiple hits, going 2-for-2 with a pair of walks at the top of the lineup. Foster and Tansey also accounted for the Valiants' two stolen bases.
Game Two: Manhattanville 4, FDU-Florham 1
Riding a high after the thrilling win in the opener,
Tahlia Smith (St. Helena, Calif./St. Helena) dealt a complete game gem for her fifth win of the season with a career-high 10 strikeouts.
The rookie pitcher scattered five hits and two walks across her seven innings in the circle, surrendering just one run. Smith lowers her ERA below three for the first time this season, now resting at 2.80. Smith has found her putaway pitch as of late, logging 26 strikeouts over her last three starts.
After Smith held the Devils scoreless in the first after a leadoff walk, the Valiants spotted their rookie arm an early lead after a Foster leadoff walk and an O'Leary RBI triple. Manhattanville was in prime position to break things open, but would leave the bases loaded.
With nothing happening through the top of the fourth, Manhattanville plated three crucial insurance runs in the bottom half. The Valiants loaded the bases with one out on a Brooks walk and singles by
Cady Sickler (Kingston, N.Y./Kingston) and Smith. That brought up Ochoa, who promptly cleared the bases on the first pitch she saw with a triple to right field to put the Valiants up by four.
The Devils broke up the shutout with a two-out single off the bat of Riley Signor, but Smith got an inning-ending pop-up to strand a pair. The Valiants closed out the win with a 1-2-3 top of the seventh, with Smith logging her tenth and final strikeout to end the game.
Tansey added the Valiants' only other extra base hit alongside O'Leary and Ochoa's triples with a double in the fifth.
Up Next
Manhattanville returns to their home field tomorrow for a doubleheader against Sage starting at 3 p.m.
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