Columbia University and Manhattan College both earned sweeps today to kick off week 2 of THE Spring Games! For the first time since 2011, Manhattan College has started its season with a 2-0 record. 

Columbia 6, Providence 0

Senior Madison Canby had everything working on Friday, fanning a career-high nine Providence hitters over six innings of work to help lead the Columbia softball team past the Friars, 6-0, in game one of THE Spring Games down in Madeira Beach.

In addition to her nine strikeouts, Canby (1-0) tossed six shutout innings while giving up just two hits and walking five for Columbia (1-0). Sophomore Monique Benjamin finished off the combined shutout, throwing one scoreless inning while allowing one hit and a walk with two strikeouts.

Daniella Mandichakmade a big impact in her collegiate debut. The rookie out of Laguna Niguel, California led the way offensively for the Lions by going 1-for-3 with a double and three RBIs. SophomoreHailey Wetherill and first-year Bubba Gleaves each went 2-for-3 with an RBI.

For the Friars (2-4), sophomore Daniela Alvarez took the loss (1-3), allowing six earned runs on 10 hits over six innings.

The Lions used a five-run first, all with two outs, to kick off the season in style. Abby Stuart singled in the first run of the year to crack the scoreboard. After Amanda Nishihira drew a walk to load the bases, Mandichak stepped up and smacked a three-run double in her first collegiate at-bat to make it a 4-0 game. Gleaves followed with an RBI single to bring home Mandichak and increase the lead to 5-0.

The Lions added another two-out run in the sixth inning on a single by Hailey Wetherill that scored Nishihira.

Canby retired nine of the first 11 batters she faced, punching out five across the first three innings. The most trouble she got into was in the fourth, when she walked two with one out but worked around it by striking out Magrino and getting Nunez to ground out to end the inning,

Benjamin struck out two and left two stranded in the seventh to polish off the victory.

To watch the replay of this game, CLICK HERE

Columbia 2, Georgetown 1

Columbia's pitching showcased itself once again, holding the Georgetown Hoyas to just one run on one hit and the Lions lineup did the rest, pushing just enough runners across to eke out the 2-1 victory.

First-year Kaia McCaul (1-0) picked up the victory out of the bullpen for Columbia (2-0). The left-hander went 4.2 shutout innings while giving up one hit. She entered with the bases loaded and one out in a 2-1 game in the third but induced a double play to get out of the jam.

Juniors Max Ortega and Maria Pagane led the way offensively for the Lions. Ortega was 2-for-3 in the ballgame with an RBI while Pagane was 1-for-4 with the other RBI. Both hits came in the top of the third to put the Lions up, 2-0.

Columbia's run-scoring inning started with Danielle Mandichak and Amber Swinarsk both reaching on errors. Pagane singled to left to bring home Mandichak with the game's first run. Two batters later, Ortega singled with two down to score Swinarski from third.

Senior Erin Gallo got the start in the circle and did not allow a hit over her 2.1 innings of work. Gallo's control got away from her in the third, walking two batters and hitting two more to plate Georgetown's only run. She and McCaul combined for a one-hitter.

McCaul was dominant from there, allowing just a hit and two walks the rest of the way.

To watch the replay of this game, CLICK HERE

Manhattan 10, South Dakota 2 (5 innings)

Jessie Rising earned her first win of the season Saturday, going all five innings for the Jaspers, allowing seven hits and two runs. She struck out three and walked none in 21 at bats. 

At the plate, the Jasper offense was on fire after going down 2-0 to the Coyotes over the first two innings. Senior Adriana Gambino got things going for the Jaspers in the third, hitting an RBI single with the bases loaded to score Manhattan's first run of the game. In the next at bat, Kaitlyn Flood tied the game with a sacrifice fly to right field, scoring Christine Gebhardt from third.

Gabriella Mazzotta earned two RBI to spark an eight-run fourth inning, singling to left field to drive in runners on second and third and giving the Jaspers their first lead of the game at 4-2. Gebhardt then doubled to left center to send Mazzotta home. Two batters later, Gambino picked up another RBI on a double to center field, followed by a two-RBI single up the middle from Flood and later a two-RBI single from Rising, extending the Jasper lead to 10-2.

Needing just three outs in the top of the fifth to close out the game, Rising forced the first South Dakota batter to line out to left field, before striking out two of the next three batters.

Flood finished the game with a team-high three RBI, while Mazzotta went 3-3 with two RBI in the lead-off spot. 

To watch the replay of this game, CLICK HERE

Manhattan 13, Merrimack 1

Senior pitcher Kayla McDermott got Manhattan's first start in the circle of the 2020 season, going six innings and letting up just one run on four hits for the win. She was relived in the seventh by junior transfer Kali Puppolo who went one inning and struck out one of four batters faced in her first appearance for the Jaspers.

Locked in at 0-0 in the top of the fourth, Christine Gebhardt got the offense going for Manhattan, knocking an RBI triple to center field and sparking a 4-0 tear. The Jaspers showed overwhelming offense at the plate throughout the game, as both Adriana Gambino and Annie Moore would hit RBI triples in the game, while Gambino, Victoria Alonso and Emma Kindblom  would nab RBI doubles.  

To watch the replay of this game, CLICK HERE

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