GAME 2 BOXSCORE
Riverdale, NY (April 24, 2004)- Jennifer McCracken drew a bases loaded walk in the bottom of the tenth inning to score Michelle Gutierrez from third with the winning run as Manhattan defeated MAAC leader Niagara, 5-4, in 10 innings in the first game of a MAAC double header today at Gaelic Park. In the second game, the Lady Jaspers batted around in the fourth inning, plating seven runs on the way to a 9-1, six inning, win to sweep the twin bill. Jillian Medea pitched all 16 innings for Manhattan, striking out 23 on the day to move into first place on the Lady Jasper single-season strikeout list, passing Carrieann Ciccone, who fanned 108 batter in 1997. Manhattan improves to 11-22, 6-2 in MAAC play and has won five straight conference games and eight of its last nine.
Niagara (15-21, 6-4 MAAC) jumped on Medea early in game one, scoring three runs in the top of the first, the first two on back-to-back RBI doubles by Nicole Sum and Cheryl Julicher, and the third on a Manhattan error.
The Lady Jaspers answered with two runs in the bottom of the second, when, after consecutive infield singles by Stefanie Gozdziewski and Gutierrez opened the inning, both runners scored after consecutive Purple Eagle errors when attempting a double steal. Manhattan knotted the score at 3-3 in the fifth, when, on a McCracken single to center, Marina Ysaac went to third and scored on a Niagara error. The Lady Jaspers took their first lead of the game, 4-3, in the sixth on a RBI single by Megan Jurkowski.
In the top of the seventh, the Purple Eagles plated a two-out run on a Jamie Horn RBI single to center, scoring pinch runner Amy Dulski to tie the score at 4-4 and send the game into extra innings, setting up McCracken's game-ending one-out walk in the 10th.
Medea allowed four runs on six hits, striking out 14 and walking just one. Tegan Bennett (5-7) went the distance for Niagara, allowing one earned run.
In the second game, after Manhattan to a 1-0 lead in the third on a McCracken RBI single, Niagara tied the score in the fourth on a solo homer by Julicher.
The Lady Jaspers blew the game open in the fourth, plating seven runs on six hits, as Gozdziewski scored on a Niagara error, Kerry Cook and Gutierrez sandwiched RBI singles around bases loaded walks to Margaret LaFex and Kiera Fox, and Fox beat the throw to second on a ball on an attempted fielder's choice off the bat of Gozdziewski with two outs, which enabled LaFex and McCracken to score.
In the sixth, Gutierrez singled home Erika Kostik to give the Lady Jaspers a 9-1 lead, invoking the eight-run rule, and ending the game.
Medea (8-11) allowed just one run on three hits while fanning nine to run her win streak to six straight. Andrea Crapo (6-6) pitched 3.1 innings, allowing five runs, three earned, while striking out four in the loss.
Manhattan gets back in action on Sunday, April 25, in a twin bill against MAAC for Canisius in a twin bill scheduled to begin at 9 a.m.
