Riverdale, NY – The Wagner softball team dropped a pair of non-conference games to Manhattan College this afternoon, falling 6-5 in 12 innings before losing 11-3 in five innings.
The Seahawks are now 13-18 on the season, and remain 0-4 in Northeast Conference (NEC) play.
In game one, Wagner's pitching staff proved to be an important factor in keeping the game close.
McKaleigh Goodale (Bradenton, FL / Lakewood Ranch) Goodale tossed the first 5.2 innings, allowing five hits, four walks, and two earned runs, while striking out five.
Samantha Bedker (Phoenix, AZ / Sandra Day O'Connor) hurled the final 6.0 innings, allowing five walks, two hits, one earned run, while fanning six.
As a club, Wagner had 13 hits by nine different batters.
Kelsey Parker (Lynnwood, WA / Lynnwood),
Abigail Beasley (Peoria, AZ / Centennial), and
Hayley Sullivan (Bakersfield, CA / North) all knocked in one run a piece, while
Aerika High (Manheim, PA / Manheim Central) had two RBI.
Wagner opened up the scoring in the top of the first inning, posting two runs to make it a 2-0 game.
Brianna Tredway (Downingtown, PA / Downingtown West) drew a walk, and advanced to third when Lewis doubled to right-centerfield. Tredway was driven in by Parker's sacrifice fly for the first run of the game.
Beasley followed with a single up the middle to plate Lewis and make it a 2-0 game.
Manhattan cut the lead in half in their frame of the first inning, yet stranded a pair of runners when Goodale fanned two before inducing a routine ground out for the third out.
Following scoreless second and third innings, Wagner was able to extend its lead over the Jaspers in the top of the fourth. With two outs,
Megan Moore singled to left field, and was pushed across when High hit a moon shot over the right-centerfield fence to bring the score to 4-1.
The Jaspers retaliated with three runs of their own in the bottom of the fourth inning, battling back to tie the game at 4-4.
Wagner added its final run in the top of the fifth inning. Beasley drew a walk, advanced to second on a Parker single to left-centerfield, and scored on a Sullivan single down the left-field line to make it a 5-4 game.
In the bottom of the sixth, however, the Jaspers tied the game at 5-5 with an unearned run.
With neither team able to plate a run in the seventh inning, the game continued. It was ultimately Manhattan who pushed across the winning tally in the bottom of the 12th inning to take the game 6-5.
In game two, the Seahawks fell behind early and were unable to best the Jaspers, despite their rally in the top of the second inning.
High went two-for-three with two RBI and one runs scored to pace the Seahawk offense. Lewis plated Wagner's remaining RBI. As a club, Wagner had seven hits.
In the circle,
Gina Massaro (Fairless Hills, PA / Conwell-Egan Catholic) pitched 1.1 innings, with four hits, two walks, and two strike outs. Bedker closed the game, allowing seven hits and two walks.
In the bottom of the first inning, Manhattan jumped out to an early lead to make it a 4-0.
Wagner answered with three runs in the top of the second to cut Manhattan's lead to one.
Brenda Bott (Valley Fountain, CA / Valley Fountain) led off the inning, and reached first base after she was hit by a pitch.
Hana Gilbert (Valley Center, CA / Valley Center) followed with a walk, and both runners advanced one base each when Sullivan laid down a sacrifice bunt. High recorded her final two RBI of the day with a double to left field, to bring her total RBI count to four on the day.
The Jaspers tacked on another three runs in the bottom of the second inning to bring the score to 7-3. They proceeded to add one run in the third inning, two runs in the fourth, and one run in the fifth inning to secure the 11-3 win over the Seahawks.
The Green & White return to action this Saturday, April 12, when they host a doubleheader against NEC rival Saint Francis U. The first game of the doubleheader is slated for a 1:00 p.m. start.
