CONTACT: Adam Sopris, a.sopris@hvcc.edu, 518-629-7898 or 518-416-2137
FOR RELEASE: Immediate, Sunday, May 7, 2023

The Hudson Valley Community College softball program closed out the regular season on a five game win streak after defeating Columbia-Greene at the Vikings Softball Field at HVCC on Sunday afternoon.

The Vikings improved to 19-15 (17-6 Region 3) and currently sit in fourth place with the Region 3 postseason seeding meeting scheduled for Wednesday, May 10 at 6 p.m. The sub-regional round is a best-of-three series scheduled to begin on Saturday, May 13 at the higher-seed.

GAME ONE: Hudson Valley 9, Columbia-Greene 1 (6 innings)

The Vikings put up a five-run sixth inning to secure a 9-1 win over the Twins to get the doubleheader off to a great start as the Vikings continued to fight for postseason seeding.

In the sixth inning, all of the scoring happened with two-outs in the inning as Abby Campbell drove in the first run of the inning with a single to leftfield, which allowed Alyssa Smith to score. Smith reached base earlier in the inning with a four-pitch walk. Katie Mannis followed Campbell with a 2-RBI double and Maryssa Sano followed with a 2-RBI double to centerfield to score the game-ending runs.

Hudson Valley pulled away for good in the third inning with an RBI by Campbell (scoring Skylar Burns). Mannis immediately followed it up with a solo home run to go up 2-1 on the Twins. Later in the inning, Sano doubled to centerfield to score Gia Bucciero.

Carly Gemmett earned the victory as she tossed a complete game and allowed one run on two hits, while striking out 10 batters.

As a team, the Vikings combined for 13 hits in the game with Sano, Mannis, Bucciero and Burns all collecting multiple hits in the game.

GAME TWO: Hudson Valley 15, Columbia-Greene 5 (5 innings)

The first inning of the second game was an exciting slugfest as both programs combined to score 11 runs in the inning. The Vikings jumped started the game with six runs in the first inning and the Twins followed it up with five quick runs in the home half of the first.

However, the Vikings put up an eight-run inning in the top of the third for the knockout punch as the went on to a 10-run victory. In the third inning, the Vikings were led by Jody Rogers, Nadia Hotaling, Abby Taylor, Mannis, Sano and Kaylee LaForest, as they all collected RBIs in the inning. Rogers connected for a home run to highlight to six-run first inning as well.

Mannis earned the win for the Vikings as she went the distance, tossing five innings and allowed five runs on four hits and struck out four batters.

Mannis has been one of the best players in the Region over the last two weeks. She went 4-for-8 at the plate with a double, triple, two home runs with four runs scored and six RBIS against the Twins today. She currently is riding an eight-game hitting streak and is hitting 12-for-26 (.461) since May 2 and has accumulated four doubles, two triples and four home runs with 12 RBIs. Mannis also continued to pitch well, going 5-0 in her last six starts in the circle.

ON DECK:

The softball program awaits its postseason opponent, which will be announced on Wednesday evening by the NJCAA Region 3 Softball Committee. If the Vikings remain fourth, they will host the No. 5 seed at the Vikings Softball Field on Saturday, May 13 for a best-of-three match-up.