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MARCH 21, 2012
KING'S SOFTBALL DROPS TWO TO MANHATTANVILLE IN FREEDOM CONFERENCE OPENER
PURCHASE, NY -- It wasn't the way the defending champion King's College softball team had anticipated its opening the 2012 Freedom Conference schedule. In nearly two weeks since it last played due to a scheduling snafu, the Lady Monarch bats were silent as King's dropped its conference-opening twin bill at Manhattanville College Wednesday in Purchase, NY.
In a rematch of the 2011 Freedom Conference Tournament championship game, Manhattanville captured the first game 2-0 before taking the nightcap 5-3.
King's entered the day with a 10-2 record and a .429 team batting average during its Spring Break trip to Myrtle Beach, S.C. and Salisbury, Md., but the Lady Monarchs struggled at the plate in its first look at live pitching since March 10. King's had originally signed on to play in a tournament over the weekend at Salisbury University to prepare for the opening of the Freedom Conference schedule. However, Salisbury, which runs two tournaments in back-to-back weeks, mistakenly scheduled the Lady Monarchs for the first week, giving King's 11 days off entering its Freedm Conference opener.
In the first game against Manhattanville, the Lady Monarchs managed just three base hits off Valiant starter Alyssa Taylor. Erin Beane went 2-for-3 for King's while Rebecca Taylor was 1-for-3. Brittany Haight took the pitching loss for King's, scattering eight hits while allowing just two runs in the third inning.
Manhattanville was led by Katie Pitcher and Taylor who were both 2-for-3 with one RBI.
In the second game King's bats remained cold as the Lady Monarchs tallied only five hits. Jenn Harnischfeger was 2-for-4; Amanda Cardone finished 1-for-4 with a run scored while Taylor was 1-for-3 with a RBI. Kayla Rutkoski also went 1-for-3 in the game. Annie Erndl was the losing pitcher, allowing five earned runs on nine hits with seven strikeouts and two walks.
The Valiants were again paced by Pitcher who was 2-for-3 with two RBI while Jessica Van Galen was 2-for-2 with two runs scored.
King's will jump right back into Freedom Conference competition on Saturday when the Lady Monarchs travel to St. David to face Eastern University in a 1:00 p.m doubeheader.
