RIVERDALE, N.Y. \u2013 The Columbia softball team broke the game open with a historic third inning and rode that surge to a 14-5 victory over Manhattan on Tuesday at Gaelic Park.<\/p>\n
The Lions (7-12) did most of their damage in a 10-run third, capitalizing on timely hits and defensive miscues to seize complete control after briefly trailing.<\/p>\n
Columbia first got on the board in the second without a hit. Mads Lawson<\/a> drew a walk and eventually scored on a wild pitch after Caylene Nguyen<\/a> reached on a fielder’s choice, giving the Lions an early 1-0 lead.<\/p>\n Manhattan (5-16) briefly took the momentum back in the bottom of the second. Following a leadoff walk to Caitlin Gaetani, Kendall Penny jumped all over a 0-2 offering for a 2-run home run to left center field.<\/p>\n The game turned decisively in the third. Columbia sent 13 batters to the plate and scored 10 runs on just three hits, taking advantage of two Manhattan errors. Savanna Messner<\/a> sparked the rally with a two-run double to right-center, scoring Kyra Mason<\/a> and Juju O’Brien<\/a>. Lawson followed by reaching on an error that brought home two more runs.<\/p>\n Moments later, Nguyen delivered the biggest swing of the inning, launching a three-run home run to left to extend the lead. After two walks prolonged the frame, O’Brien capped the outburst with a three-run homer of her own, pushing Columbia’s advantage to 11-2.<\/p>\n The 10-run third inning was the first time Columbia has scored 10 or more runs in an inning since the Lions did it against Lafayette on March 19, 2014.<\/p>\n Columbia added insurance in the seventh. With two aboard, Alicia Marzouca<\/a> drove a three-run home run to center, scoring Mason and Brianna Santangelo<\/a> and extending the lead to 14-5. It was Marzouca’s fourth home run of the year.<\/p>\n Messner finished with two RBIs, while Nguyen and Marzouca each drove in three runs. O’Brien also added three RBIs as part of the Lions’ balanced attack, which produced runs in key spots despite going 4-for-13 with runners in scoring position.<\/p>\n Lily McCord<\/a> (2-4) earned the win, allowing five runs over six innings while working around traffic. Charlotte Laidler<\/a> closed out the seventh to secure the victory.<\/p>\n Manhattan was paced by Kendall Penny’s two-run homer in the second and Sophia Hannappel’s two-run shot in the fourth, but the Jaspers could not recover from Columbia’s decisive third inning.<\/p>\n Taking the loss for Manhattan was starter Caitlin Gaetani (0-2). Gaetani could not get out of the second inning after surrendering two hits, six runs, three earned, with five walks and two strikeouts.<\/p>\n Columbia makes its 2026 home debut on Wednesday when it hosts LIU. First pitch between the Lions and Sharks has been moved up to 2 p.m.<\/p>\n FOLLOWING THE LIONS
\nStay up to date on all things Columbia Softball by following the Lions on X (@CULionsSoftball), Instagram (@culionssoftball) and on Facebook (@ColumbiaSoftball).
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