CHARLESTON, SC—The Manhattan Jaspers softball team (0-7, 0-0 MAAC) lost to the Charleston Southern Buccaneers (8-7, 0-0 Big South) in a two-game doubleheader on Saturday afternoon by scores of 5-4 and 7-5, respectively.
GAME 1:
- The Jaspers surrendered the first two runs to the Buccaneers in the first inning, but Karissa Spring bounced back in the second inning, striking out two of three batters faced in the inning.
- In the top of the fifth inning, freshman Angelina Gencarelli drove in Villalobos, who opened the visiting half with a single to left field, to get the Jaspers on the board.
- With the bases loaded in the sixth, Anissa Villalobos reached on a fielder's choice, followed by an error by the Buccaneers' shortstop to bring in two unearned runs.
- The next batter, freshman Brianna Estevez, sent a sacrifice fly into centerfield to drive home Victoria Diaz from 60 feet away to tie the game at four.
- An infield single from Charleston Southern in the bottom of the sixth put the Buccaneers back in front by one run down the stretch.
- The Jaspers did go away quietly. With Kiseloski singling to centerfield, Kaly Markel pinch-ran and swiped two bags to put Manhattan in scoring position. But the Jaspers were unable to bring her home after a strikeout and fly out to right ended the first game.
GAME 2:
- The Jaspers continued right where it left off in the top of the third, with a pair of singles from Lindsey Hoag and Brianna Estevez, which allowed Angelina Gencarelli to drive home the former for the second game's first run.
- After the Buccaneers lifted itself over Manhattan for the next six innings, it was the Jaspers, once again, who came alive in the top of the seventh. Rally caps on, and Manhattan did not go down without a fight.
- Following a pair of walks surrendered to Villalobos and Estevez, Sophia Kiseloski hit a three-run blast into centerfield to shrink its deficit to just two.
- Michayla Rodriguez followed suit with a single into center field to keep the rally alive. But simply was not enough against Charleston Southern in the final two at-bats.
STATS AND NOTES
- Sophomore starting pitcher Karissa Spring logged six innings of work, punched out five batters in 29 batters faced, and surrendered seven hits on the afternoon in the front end of the doubleheader.
- Freshman infielder Michayla Rodriguez registered three hits between the two contests in six total plate appearances. Rodriguez also logged two walks as well.
- Junior Sophia Kiseloski smashed the team's first home run of the season in the latter portion of the second inning. For the Oak Ridge, NJ native, that was her fifth career home run.
- Manhattan combined for seven stolen bases in the first two games of the Charleston Southern series. The Jaspers only attempted one at UTEP this season.
NEXT UP:
Manhattan completes the three-game set tomorrow, Sunday, March 2, when the Jaspers face the Buccaneers of Charleston Southern University for a 12 p.m. first pitch.