Wagner Walks Off With 5-4 Win Over Manhattan

STATEN ISLAND, N.Y. – After the Manhattan College softball team (8-8) tied the game in the top of the seventh, Wagner (5-8) rallied in the bottom half of the inning to come away with a 5-4 victory over the Jaspers at Wagner College Field on Wednesday.  Game two of the scheduled doubleheader was cancelled due to rain.

Wagner got on the board immediately, as McKaleigh Goodale's three-run homer in the bottom of the first gave the Seahawks a 3-0 lead.  However, the Jaspers trimmed their deficit to 3-2 on Elena Bowman's (San Mateo, Calif.) two-run blast in the top of the third.

Kelsey Parker's home run leading off the bottom of the fifth extended Wagner's advantage to 4-2, but Manhattan responded with a run in the top of the sixth.  Stephanie Reinhardt (Albany, N.Y.) started the rally with a double to left and scored on Meredith Bryant's (Brielle, N.J.) two-out single to right.  The Jaspers then tied the game on a solo home run by Mickayla Romero (Las Vegas, Nev.) leading off the seventh.

In the bottom of the seventh, Taylor Beeson drew a leadoff walk, prompting a Manhattan pitching change.  Reliever Erin Hamm (Collegeville, Pa.) gave up a single to Parker, but quickly got the first two outs of the inning.  Hanna Gilbert was up next, though, and she singled to right, knocking in the winning run in Wagner's 5-4 victory.

Bowman reached base in all four of her plate appearances, going 2-for-2 with a two-run homer, a double and two walks.  Romero ended up 2-for-3 with two runs scored and an RBI, while Reinhardt finished 2-for-3 with a run scored.  Amy Bright (Manlius, N.Y.) started in the circle and lasted 1.2 innings.  She gave up three unearned runs on three hits, struck out one and walked two.  Anna Crowley (Eastchester, N.Y.) (0-1) took the loss after allowing two runs on two hits while striking four and walking out four in 4.2 innings of relief.  Hamm yielded a pair of hits in 0.2 innings of work.

For the Seahawks, Goodale went 2-for-4 with three RBIs and a run scored, while Parker was 2-for-2 with two walks, two runs and an RBI.  Samatha Bedker (1-4) tossed a complete game in the circle.  She picked up the win after surrendering four runs on eight hits with five walks and four strikeouts.