Manhattan-Holy Cross Box Score
Manhattan-Utah Valley Box Score
KISSIMMEE, Fla. - The Manhattan College softball team struggled offensively in both of its games on Saturday. After being held to just four hits in a 3-0 loss to Holy Cross (2-10), the Jaspers (0-4) were knocked off, 4-1, by Utah Valley (10-4) in the Rebel Spring Games at the Fortune Road Softball Complex.
The contest against Holy Cross started off as a pitchers' duel between Amy Bright (Manlius, N.Y.) and Julia Barrett. Neither hurler allowed a hit until the Crusaders' Ashleigh Vargas knocked a two-out single in the bottom of the third. However, Bright got the next batter, Gwen Reimer, to fly to left, ending the inning.
It would remain scoreless until the fifth, when Holy Cross pushed two runs across. Barrett helped her own cause with a one-out single, and she advanced to second on an error. Reimer then ripped a single to center field, bringing Barrett home with the game's first run. After Alex Gustafson walked to load the bases, Sam Fregenti lifted a sacrifice fly that gave the Crusaders a 2-0 lead.
In the top of the sixth, Manhattan's first two hitters reached base, as Kelly Murray (Leominster, Mass.) walked and Amanda Paxson (Cedar Grove, N.J.) singled, but Barrett induced a pair of pop ups and a ground ball to end the threat. Kelliner Croushore then led off the bottom half of the inning with a home run, making it 3-0 Holy Cross.
Amanda Babcock (Haverstraw, N.Y.) had two of Manhattan's four hits in the game. She went 2-for-3 with a double. Bright (0-2) suffered a tough-luck loss, yielding just two earned runs and four hits in six innings. She also struck out six and walked three.
Barrett (1-5) tossed a four-hit shutout for the Crusaders. She struck out four and walked four. Barrett also went 1-for-3 at the plate and scored the game's first run.
In Manhattan's second contest of the day, Utah Valley loaded the bases in the top of the first. However, Kelsi Redding (Tucson, Ariz.) got out of the jam without allowing a run. The Wolverines did break through for a run in the second, though, on Kylee Brinkerhoff's RBI double.
The Jaspers tied the game in the bottom of the fourth, snapping a string of 32 consecutive scoreless innings by Wolverines pitchers. Babcock started the rally with a one-out double. She was then driven in on Carla Velasquez's (Miami, Fla.) single to center field. Velasquez moved to second on the throw home, and she was replaced by pinch runner Amanda Berrios (Carteret, N.J.), but Berrios was left stranded at second base.
Utah Valley broke the tie with a three-spot in the top of the seventh. Brinkerhoff started the rally with a one-out single, and she scored on Jessica Uresti's double to left. Uresti was retired trying to score on a grounder to short before back-to-back walks loaded the bases with two down. Krystin Jachim delivered with the bases juiced, ripping a two-run single to center that increased the Wolverines' advantage to 4-1.
With one out in the bottom of the seventh, Murray was called upon to pinch hit, and she drew a hard-earned walk. After Paxson flied to right, Anna Gallacher (New Fairfield, Conn.) kept the Jaspers alive with a single down the left field line. That brought up Jocelin Whitmore (La Habra, Calif.) as the tying run, prompting Utah Valley to call on Tiffany Mills out of the bullpen. Mills struck out Whitmore to secure the save.
Manhattan was held to four hits against Utah Valley, as well. Babcock went 1-for-3 with a double and a run scored, while Velasquez reached base three times, drawing a pair of walks to go along with her RBI single. Redding (0-2) went the distance in the circle, allowing four runs on eight hits, striking out two and walking six.
Leadoff hitter Uresti went 3-for-4 with an RBI for the Wolverines. Brinkerhoff added a double and a single, as Utah Valley collected eight hits as a team. Cassie Herrera (2-1) earned the win after tossing the first 6.2 innings. She gave up one run on four hits while striking out five and walking three.
On Sunday, the Jaspers face Youngstown State (5-2) at 1 p.m., then square off with Yale (3-5) at 5 p.m.
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