Game one Boxscore
Game two Boxscore

CENTER VALLEY, Pa. – After taking the first game of the three-game series, the Valiant baseball squad dropped a pair to conference rival DeSales University, 5-1 and 8-1, in a doubleheader at Butz Field on Saturday afternoon in Freedom play.

Manhattanville struggled at the plate in both games, finishing with 13 combined hits on the day and just one run batted in. DeSales countered with great pitching and early run support to take both games. The Valiants allowed 11 of the 13 runs in the first three innings of both games.

In the opening game, the Valiants scored in the first inning as leadoff hitter sophomore John Bucci (Port Chester, N.Y./Port Chester) singled to start the game and advanced two bases on a sacrifice and fly out. Cleanup hitter Junior Chris Nardozzi (Poughkeepsie, N.Y./Roy C. Ketcham) reached on an error by the third baseman that allowed Bucci to score, as the Valiants took a 1-0 lead.

The Bulldogs responded with two runs in the bottom of the inning, as Jason Hadinger scored a pair of runs with a single up the middle.  Manhattanville starting pitcher sophomore Edwin Aponte (Yonkers, N.Y./Yonkers) began to settle in, but allowed a run in the third to give the host a 3-1 advantage. Hadinger scored his third runner of the game with a single through the right side.

DeSales added two more insurance runs in the bottom of the sixth to take the 5-1 victory, as Chris Zucchi singled in a run off a hit down the left field line and then later scored on a wild pitch.

Aponte (0-1) allowed four hits and four runs in 5.1 innings of work and was replaced by classmate Don Fisher (Wappingers Falls, N.Y./Roy C. Ketcham) who got the final two outs of the contest. Dan Gayeski (1-0) got the win for DeSales after he went six strong innings allowing six hits and struck out five batters. Travis Hughes pitched a scoreless seventh inning.

The Valiants hoped to bounce back in the finale, but the home Bulldogs had other intentions. DeSales scored eight runs in the first three innings and comfortably held on for the win. Junior Dan Fiorito (Yonkers, N.Y./Fordham Prep) didn't fare well in his first start up north and surrendered four runs on four hits with three strikeouts in two innings. His replacement to begin the third inning junior A.J. Marini (Fair Lawn, N.J./Paramus Catholic) allowed four earned runs and was replaced by senior Joe Donnelly (Patterson, N.Y./Carmel) who finished the inning unscaved.

Bucci scored the only Valiant run of the contest as classmate Raul Rodriguez (Bronx, N.Y./DeWitt Clinton) who made the start at third base singled earlier in the inning.  Senior John Keenan (Brooklyn, N.Y./Xaverian) and sophomore Bashir Masani (Westbury, N.Y./W.T. Clarke) finished the final three innings on the mound and allowed just three hits with two strikeouts.