Siena Softball clinched a spot in the MAAC Championship for the third consecutive season Saturday, splitting a doubleheader at conference foe Manhattan to kick off its final weekend of regular season play. The Saints were bested, 2-0, in game one, before using a team effort to take game two, 3-1 in Riverdale, New York.

Game One – Manhattan 2, Siena 0

Looking to avenge a loss to the Jaspers at last year's MAAC Tournament, the Saints were kept off the scoreboard for just the fourth time in 2019, putting up two hits to Manhattan's six. Working behind their defense, who downed the first 20 Saints of the day in order, the home team stranded a pair in the first before walking home the first run of the game with the bases loaded in the home half of the second.

Senior Madysen Cossack reached base on a one-out single to center in the top of the fourth but could not advance, while freshman Sabrina Vargas singled and advanced all the way to third on an error, but was stranded 60 feet from home in the top of the sixth. An RBI double in the bottom of the inning extended the lead for the Jaspers, while the Saints went down in order in their final offensive try. Junior right-hander Brooke Hughes (6-11) took the loss while registering her sixth complete game of the year, striking out five batters and walking as many in the process.  

Game Two – Siena 3, Manhattan 1

Having already earned one of the six spots in the 2019 MAAC Championship due to seventh place Canisius going down to Marist earlier in the day, the Saints fired up the offense in the final game of the day, out-hitting their opponents 6-5. Manhattan would strike first in the bottom of the opening inning with an RBI single up the middle, but would leave seven batters on-base thereafter. Working alongside the complete-game dealing of junior right-hander Maddie McMahon, the Saints began the fourth inning with a pair of two-baggers, with Cossack furthering her program record in the statistic by sending home freshman Yamila Evans to even the score.

After inducing a 1-2-3 inning defensively, Siena tacked on a pair of one-out, go-ahead runs in the top of the fifth, with senior Jess Vollmer lacing her team-leading second triple of the season to place sophomore Neysa Ouellette, and Vargas laying down a bunt single to allow Vollmer to come in. Runners were left on first and second in each of the final two innings for Manhattan, with McMahon (11-7) becoming just the seventh pitcher in a single-season to reach 11 wins in the circle, tossing three strikeouts in the process.

Following the split, Siena will close out its 2019 regular season with one final MAAC doubleheader at Saint Peter's Sunday afternoon. The Saints have the potential to be seeded anywhere from No. 3 to No. 5, depending on the outcomes of their doubleheader, as well as action between Marist and Niagara. If the Saints sweep the Peahens, they are guaranteed the No. 3 seed for the second straight year, while a split would most likely put them at the No. 4 spot. If the Purple Eagles take both games over the Red Foxes and the Saints do not sweep SPU, they will be the No. 5 seed.