The Jaspers earn a three game winning streak for the first time in five years against St. Peter’s.
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Angelina Persaud, Senior Writer
Manhattan University’s softball team racked up their first three-game winning streak in five years against St. Peter’s along with one of their newest members being named MAAC Rookie of the Week.
Game one against St. Peter’s tested the limits of the Jaspers as they walked away with a score of 2-1 coming off two singles from junior Sophia Kiseloski. However, team effort and endurance throughout the game helped to push them to the final stretch with key plays from Lindsey Hoag and Brianna Esteves amongst others.
Hoag was able to remove St. Peter’s Steph Bendzlowicz in the first half of the game, then made a grand return to force out Tai Turner coming off a play from Esteves.
Hoag commented on the camaraderie and trust the team places in each other during match ups and how that helped propel them forward to the win.
“I think from the jump, we were pretty confident,” Hoag said. “We know we have the talent, so it was putting the pieces together. After we got that first win, and then the next game ended up getting rained out, we knew that we had won just from there, so the momentum was on our side. I think the win definitely gave us more confidence.”
Game two presented its own set of challenges that the Jaspers were able to push through to secure a 6-1 win. Hoag continued to deliver towards the fourth inning with an RBI single that allowed Anissa Villalobos to get a double, pushing them closer to the win.
Hoag noted that making key moves in the outfield and staying in sync with her teammates provided a groundwork for her success during matchups.
“In the outfield, we push each other as much as we can,” Hoag said. “We make this joke, ‘Oh, for $400 can you catch that ball?’ Knowing that I have girls around me that are pushing me and that they want me to make that play is crucial.”
Esteves saw a round of game-changing plays during the third win against St. Peter’s, which put the Jaspers at 11-10. She would go on to score a home run plus two additional runs to secure the path to success.
Esteves noted the amount of trust and building friendships outside the field that goes into securing a win, emphasizing that reliance on her teammates ultimately pulled her through.
“In this level, you need to have that trust and friendship that I’ve already built off all my teammates,” Esteves said. “Being a small team, we have a very good bond, and in the outfield, it’s just made it so much easier.”
The success didn’t stop after game three, though, as Esteves was named MAAC Rookie of the Week the following week. The recognition came as a surprise to her, but Esteves did note that there was a lot of hard work leading up to the moment.
“It was really exciting, because I felt like I hit a rough patch, and I was able to feel like I proved myself a little bit, just for myself and my own goals,” Esteves said. “That was something I kind of set for myself, and I knew that if I worked hard, that I could achieve it, and I’m just glad that it happened that way.”
Head Coach Bridget Hurlman spoke about the potential she sees, not just in the rookies on the team this year, but even in the seasoned athletes’ skills that they bring to each game.
“We’ve just grown and I think we have a lot of people, a lot of younger rookies and even upperclassmen who didn’t get a ton of playing time,” Hurlman said. “I feel like watching them all individually grow has been pretty great. Watching them grow together, learn [from] each other…it’s almost like a whole different team…and really peaking at the right time.”
She also noted that herself and Assistant Coach Sarah Gunderson hold the team to a high standard and that pushing them to their best is their primary goal.
“I think we’re playing very selflessly, and I think that that’s always a huge piece of it,” Hurlman said. “Everyone’s around, working towards the same goals and having that championship mindset of pushing each other every single day. Myself and coach Sarah, hold them to a high standard.”
She also noted that the defensive strategy of the team has been one of their best assets as well as their pitching.
“I think our defense has gotten a lot stronger,” Hurlman said. “I think it’s gotten a lot cleaner, and I know our pitching staff has really started to step it up and really pick it up. I think hitting has been consistent.”
In terms of preparation for their next matchup, both the coaches and players are feeling confident that their performance will continue to drive home successful games.
“The last stretch is just pushing in and really closing that gap and winning as many games as possible,” Hurlman said. “I do know that this team, if they continue to come together and work hard, we can really make it back to that championship. So I know it’s on everybody’s mind, and we’re all pretty excited to keep moving forward and crushing it.”
Hoag and Esteves echoed this sentiment stating that they have to continually keep pushing each other and relying on the trust they’ve built between their teammates.
Hoag noted that her performance this year has improved due to the cooperation and support from her teammates.
“We have a smaller team this year, so I’ve had to learn to trust my teammates and lean on them more even when I’m not succeeding, and most of the time they pick me up even when I’m not doing good,” Hoag said. “They could see that I’m struggling, and they just want to have my back. So I think for me, that was a little different in my game this year rather than last year.”
Esteves also commented on the potential that the team has and the excitement she has for the rest of the season.
“I know we still have a lot more in us, there’s still things that I feel teams have yet to see,” Esteves said. “I know we give our 100%, but we still have so much more that a lot of teams aren’t ready to expect.”
Hurlman noted the defining trait of the Jaspers is not in the size of the team, but rather in their skills and potential.
“We have had full confidence that we know what these girls are capable of,” Hurlman said. “We have a really great roster. We are small, but we’re mighty.”