MAY 7, 2017

MANHATTANVILLE DOWNS KING'S FOR FREEDOM CONFERENCE TITLE

DOYLESTOWN -- Top-seeded Manhattanville College won both ends of the championship series against King's College to capture the 2017 MAC Freedom Conference softball title Sunday at Delaware Valley University in Doylestown.

The Valiants won the first game 9-2 before taking the second contest 10-5. King's had defeated Manhattanville Saturday 2-0 forcing the Valiants to work their way to the title series through the loser's bracket. Manhattanville did just that with a 9-0 win over Misericordia Sunday morning to set up a rematch with King's

Manhattanville improved 30-13 while King's ended its season with a 19-19 mark.

In the first game Manhattanville took a 1-0 led in the second on a solo home run by Alyssa Marino, then added three more runs in the second to take a 4-0 lead.

In the fourth inning Desiree Buboi hit a solo home run to push the Valiant lead to 5-0. Manhattanville then added two unearned runs in the fourth to build a 7-0 lead.

King's missed out on a chance in the bottom of the frame with runners at second and third with one out. But Taylor Norris hit a line drive out to center field, doubling up King's base runner Meagan Beaupre at second for the final out of the inning.

Manhattanville would add a run on a fifth inning sacrifice fly to extend the lead to 8-0. 

King's got in the board in the bottom of the frame when Brittany McNair and Ally Devoir both singled and Samantha Bloom drew a walk to load the bases. Lexi Wolk then delivered a two-run single to cut the lead to 8-2. The Valiants added a run in the sixth to set the final score.

King's had just six base hits in the game, all singles by six different players. Wolk had a two-run single for King's. Samantha Bloom took the pitching loss for King's, allowing eight runs, six earned, in four innings of work.

In the second game Manhattanville took a 1-0 first inning lead on a RBI double by Buboi.

The lead grew to 7-0 in the second inning on the strength of a solo home run by Aarin Hartenstein and a grand slam home run by Buboi.

King's cut the lead to 7-3 in the top-of-the-third inning on a three-run home run by Alizabeth Ellsworth. But Manhattanville countered with three runs in the bottom of the inning, two coming on an infield error by King's, to stretch the lead to 10-3.

King's continued to battle and scored two runs in the top of he fifth on a RBI double by Bloom and a sacrifice fly from Beaupre, trimming the led to 10-5.

The Monarchs last chance came in the top of the seventh  when Amber Saylor singled and advanced to second n a wild pitch. Wolk hit a scorching liner to centerfield where Grinet made a lunging catch and double-ed up Saylor at second to end the game.

Like the first game, King's had six hits by six different players. Ellsworth had a three-run home run while Bloom and DeTore added RBI singles. Kristina Kocher was the losing pitcher for King's, allowing nine runs, seven earned, in three innings. Kayla Paszek pitched the final three innings and allowed one unearned run.
???????
Buboi paced Manhattanville by going 4-for-4 with six RBI. Alicia Feeney was the winning pitcher, allowing five runs, all unearned, on six hits with six strikeouts.