Box Score 1 | Box Score 2 MADISON, N.J. – The Manhattanville softball team bounced back from a tough game-one loss to post a convincing 10-1 (6 inn.) in game two and earn a split with FDU-Florham in a Freedom Conference doubleheader on Friday afternoon at McManus Field.
 
After not capitalizing on their chances in the first game, Manhattanville (9-9) took advantage of four FDU errors in game two to pick up the 10-1 victory.
 
Sophomore Rosaria Callara (Scarsdale, N.Y./Scarsdale) and junior Kirsten Savage (Harrington Park, N.J./Old Tappan) led the way by scoring three runs apiece. Senior Jessica Van Galen (Bedford Hills, N.Y./Fox Lane) went 2 for 4 with a homer and four runs batted in, while sophomore Laura Montalto (Bronx, N.Y./Preston) had three hits and drove in a pair as well.
 
The Valiants struck first for the second straight game, as Callara led off the game with a walk and, after Van Galen reached on an error to extend the inning, came home on a Montalto base hit. FDU-Florham tied the score with an unearned run in the second inning, but Manhattanville came back with nine unanswered runs to put the game away.
 
The streak started with four runs in the third inning, as the visitors capitalized on three FDU errors to break the game open. Senior Katie Pitcher (Cold Spring, N.Y./Valley Central) drove in the first run with a grounder to shortstop that was mishandled, and Montalto followed with an RBI single that ended up scoring two after another Devil error. Sophomore Cori-Bianca Embler (Beacon, N.Y./Beacon) added an RBI single of her own in the inning as well.
 
The top of the order struck again with two more in the fourth inning. Junior Shauna Mulkerin (Branchburg, N.J./Immaculata) started that rally with a walk and came home on a ball to the outfield by Pitcher. Van Galen followed up with a single up the middle to score Savage.
 
Up by six entering the sixth, Van Galen launched a three-run homer in the final inning as the Valiants went up by nine to end the game early.
 
Junior Alyssa Taylor (Craik, Sask./Craik) was the beneficiary of all the run support, remaining undefeated (4-0) on the year and lowering her ERA to 0.72 by allowing only one unearned run in six innings. The righthander allowed four hits and struck out five in the victory.
 
The first game of the afternoon was a frustrating one for the visitors, as Manhattanville held a two-run lead in the sixth before FDU-Florham scored three times to escape with a 4-3 win.
 
Manhattanville took a 1-0 lead three batters into the game, as Savage singled, stole second, and came home on a Pitcher RBI double. And while the Valiants could manage no further offense against Karla Babb for the first few innings, sophomore Kristen Rodopoulos (Scarsdale, N.Y./The Ursuline School) was also keeping FDU off the scoreboard, allowing only two walks through the first four frames.
 
The Devils got their first hit in the bottom of the fifth on a homer by Wynne McCann, but the Valiants came right back in the top of the sixth to regain the lead. A Savage single and a Pitcher double put two runners in scoring position, and Van Galen registered a two-run single to make it 3-1.
 
However, that lead did not last, as FDU-Florham scored three times in the bottom of the sixth. A single and stolen base from Brittni Wurst and an RBI base hit by Toni-ann Canova started the rally, making it a 3-2 score. The big play was a bunt by Maggie Murphy that the Valiants turned into a put out of pinch-runner Jackie Gioia at the plate, but an attempt to cut down trailing runner Colleen Moriarty at third went into left field and allowed both her and Murphy to score.
 
Rodopoulos (4-6) did not receive a lot of support in the loss, allowing four runs (three earned) on five hits. The sophomore also struck out six in a losing effort. Babb (7-6) worked around seven hits to allow three runs in the comeback win.
 
Manhattanville will be back in action on Wednesday, as the Valiants return to Manhattanville Field to host SUNY New Paltz for two games beginning at 3 p.m.