Boxscore

COCOA BEACH, FLA. – The Manhattanville baseball team will leave the state of Florida with six wins in seven games as they concluded their Spring Break Trip with a 7-2 series sweeping victory over Hilbert College on Tuesday morning.

Junior Dan Fiorito (Yonkers, N.Y./Fordham Prep) continues to lead the offensive attack finishing with four runs batted in on a pair of doubles. Sophomore Johnny LoVetere (Southbury, Conn./Canterbury) has proved his worth in the batter's box and finished the trip with two more RBIs to bring his early season total up to nine.

The top three batters for the Valiants in the finale combined for six of the seven hits on the day as leadoff hitter sophomore John Bucci (Port Chester, N.Y./Port Chester), senior Chad Wallace (Yorktown Heights, N.Y./Yorktown) and Fiorito each had two hits. LoVetere in the fifth spot was the only other Valiant to make contact with the ball.

The Valiant pitching staff was on their game again, as seventh-year head coach Jeff Caulfield used a four-man platoon to sweep the Hawks. Freshman David Jones (Lanesboro, Mass./Mt. Greylock) began the game and allowed both runs on one hit in two innings, before handing the game over to seniors Rob Rinaldi (Bronx, N.Y./Salesian) and Joe Donnelly (Patterson, N.Y./Carmel) and sophomore Don Fisher (Wappingers Falls, N.Y./Roy C. Ketcham). The relievers allowed six hits but didn't allow a run and struck out three batters.

Three first inning runs by the Valiants, followed by four more in the third inning was all they needed to pick up the win. Fiorito scored Wallace and Bucci with a double into the outfield, followed by an RBI sacrifice fly by LoVetere scoring Fiorito gave the Valiants an early 3-0 edge.

In the third inning, Fiorito once again sent a blast into the outfield and scored Bucci and Wallace for his second double of the game.  LoVetere got his only hit of the game and scored Fiorito on a single to give the Valiants a 6-0 lead. The Valiants scored their final run of the game off a balk by Hawks pitcher Chris Hoak. The balk, allowed senior Alex Braverman (Yorktown Heights, N.Y./Yorktown) to score from third base after he reached on an error by the first baseman.

Hilbert got both of their runs in the bottom half of the third inning, but the Valiants closed the door in the remaining innings to secure the victory.

The Valiants return to New York outscoring their opposition 48-25 in seven games and have dominated in the early innings. The pitching staff continues to develop and comes back north with a 4.00 earned run average, with four of the seven starters with an ERA under 1.50 and four victories.

Manhattanville (6-1) will travel back to the Empire State on return to action on Thursday afternoon to take on local rival Purchase College. On Friday, the Valiants will welcome Freedom Conference pre-season favorite DeSales University in the conference opener. Both games will begin at 3 p.m. from Manhattanville Field.