NORTH ANDOVER, Mass. – The Manhattan Jaspers softball team (12-28, 7-11 MAAC), backed by strong starting pitching, won both of its contests against the Warriors from Merrimack (8-24, 6-13 MAAC), by the final scores of 2-1 and 2-0 at Martone-Mejail Field on Saturday afternoon.
GAME ONE: Manhattan 2, Merrimack 1
- Defense set the tone to begin the day, as no hits were allowed through the middle of the second inning by either side.
- In the bottom of the second frame, the Warriors loaded the bases with two outs following a single and two walks, but an immediate groundout was forced by starter Karissa Spring to thwart that initial momentum.
- Isabella Coulman served as the first baserunner for the Jaspers after reaching on an error, and despite reaching scoring position, the score remained deadlocked at 0 after three.
- To start the fourth, Samantha Kelly sent a ball over the left field fence for the second time this season, striking first to put Manhattan on the board.
- Bats stayed quiet for the next two innings outside of a Angelina Gencarlli double in the fifth.
- With one out in the top of the sixth, Kaitlyn Moody grounded out to second base which was enough to score Kelly, who reached third following a Natalye DeBus double.
- With only two outs to spare in the bottom of the seventh, Merrimack knocked an RBI double to left field to cut the Green and White lead in half.
- Despite a runner later reaching third with two outs, a popup to third base ended the matinee in favor of the visitors.
GAME TWO: Manhattan 2, Merrimack 0
- Two singles from Brianna Estevez and DeBus loaded the bases right away in the top of the first.
- Moody took the sacrifice fly to right field to score Estevez and put the Jaspers on top early.
- Merrimack put two runners in scoring position across the first two innings, but starter DeBus kept the shutout alive, highlighted by two consecutive putouts to end the second.
- Offense stayed quiet through the third, fourth, and fifth frames, with DeBus retiring all but one of the Warriors she faced.
- In the top of the sixth, Moody reached on an error following an error in the outfield. Pinch runner Madison Douglass at second base was gunned down at home on the same play to keep the score at 1-0 in favor of the Green and White.
- The Warriors put runners on first and second with only one out in the bottom of the sixth, but a 5-3 double play kept the slim winning margin in tact.
- Sophia Hannappel doubled with one out in the top of the seventh, with Adriana Giomi coming in as a pinch runner immediately after.
- With two outs, Estevez singled up the middle to give the Jaspers a needed insurance run headed into the final half inning.
- Even with allowing a walk with one out, DeBus put down the Warriors in quick fashion, with a consecutive strikeout and groundout to end the nightcap.
STATS AND NOTES
- Freshman catcher Kaitlyn Moody led the Jaspers with two RBI on the day, logging one in each game.
- Sophomore and Freshman utility players Brianna Estevez and Natalye DeBus each tallied three hits on the afternoon, with Estevez's all coming in game two.
- Freshman shortstop Samantha Kelly recorded the lone home run for either side on the day, her second of the season.
- Junior pitcher Karissa Spring and Freshman utility player DeBus each went seven innings for a win, their fifth and sixth respectively. They also combined for eight strikeouts off seven hits.
NEXT UP:
Manhattan will continue its 2026 campaign tomorrow, April 19, when they wrap up their conference series against the Warriors from Merrimack. First pitch is scheduled for 12:00 PM from Martone-Mejail Field, streaming live on ESPN+ with a paid subscription.
Follow Manhattan Softball on X (@JaspersSoftball) and Instagram (@jasperssoftball).
