Box Score
Riverdale, NY - Manhattan junior
Lauren Pitney (Ansonia, CT / St. Joseph's) has a habit of game-winning hits. Less than a week removed from her walk-off single in the ninth inning to beat Niagara on April 21, Pitney again proved the difference on Thursday, hitting a go-ahead single to left center that drove in two Manhattan runs in the bottom of the sixth and put the Jaspers up 4-3 over St. John's at Gaelic Park.
A double from
Shannon Puthe (Mullica Hill, NJ / Saint Joseph's) drove in two runs and put the Jaspers (18-23, 2-10 MAAC) on the board first in the opening inning. The Jaspers wouldn't score again until the sixth, but starting pitcher
Kayla McDermott (Garnerville, NY / North Rockland) did her work on the mound, holding the Red Storm (18-24, 7-5 Big East) hitless through two innings, and scoreless through four.
In the top of the fifth, St. John's Gretchen Bowie homered with two on, giving the Red Storm a 3-2 lead. The Jaspers responded with their top of the order in the bottom of the inning, but got just one base runner before retiring.
Pitching in relief in the top of the sixth with two Red Storm runners in scoring position, sophomore
Nicole Williams (Ansonia, CT / St. Joseph's) struck out the final two batters, and St. John's left two on without scoring.
In the bottom of the inning, freshman
Adriana Gambino (Stamford, CT / Westhill) reached first on a fielder's choice. Pinch hitting,
Dominique Palagruto (Sewell, NJ / Washington Township) walked, putting Gambino in scoring position. Hitting for Williams,
Emma Hesse (Newton, NJ / Newton) singled to second base, advancing both runners and leaving the bases loaded for Pitney, who leads Manhattan in both slugging percentage and on-base percentage this season. What would prove to be Pitney's game-winning single scored both Gambino and Palagruto, bringing her RBI count to 22 so far this season.
Junior pitcher
Stephanie Kristo (San Jose, CA / Archbishop Mitty) came in for Williams in the top of the seventh, holding the Red Storm hitless. St. John's ended the game on a double play, as Bowie lined out to Pitney, who turned a double play by picking off the runner on second.
Up Next:
Manhattan travels to Poughkeepsie, NY on Saturday, April 28 for a Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference (MAAC) doubleheader against Marist starting at noon.
