Boxscore

PURCHASE, N.Y. – A seven-run top of the fourth inning was more than enough to give Misericordia University an 11-4 victory over the Manhattanville baseball team in the opening game of a three-game Freedom Conference series on a cool and cloudy Friday afternoon at Manhattanville Field

Junior Dan Fiorito (Yonkers, N.Y./Fordham Prep) led the Valiants with four hits and two runs batted in from the leadoff position, including his first home run of the season leading off the bottom of the first inning. Classmate Chris Nardozzi (Poughkeepsie, N.Y./Roy C. Ketcham) had a pair of hits and grad student Joe Gallace (Harrison, N.Y./Harrison) had the other RBI for the Valiants on a sacrifice fly in the third inning.

The Valiants scored all four runs in the first three innings, jumping out to a 4-0 lead after three frames. Fiorito opened the scoring on the second pitch he saw, curling the ball around the left-field foul pole. He then did more damage in his second at-bat, singling home sophomore Johnny LoVetere (Southbury, Conn./Canterbury) for a two-run lead. In the third inning, Gallace's sacrifice fly and a balk that scored Nardozzi doubled the Valiant lead after three.

However, Misericordia scored 11 unanswered runs over the next three innings, scoring seven times in the fourth, followed by a run in the fifth and three in the sixth. The Cougars sent 11 batters to the plate in the fourth inning in coming back from the early deficit.

Patrick Clark (3-1) shook off some early struggles to go the distance for the Cougars, allowing 11 hits on four runs and striking out four in picking up the win

Manhattanville used a platoon on the mound after graduate student Alex Mason (Mamaroneck, N.Y./Rye Neck) allowed eight runs (six earned) over 4.1 innings of work. Mason (3-2) was roughed up in the fourth, allowing six earned runs, and finished with eight runs allowed (six earned) on 10 hits. Five Valiant relievers combined to finish the game, allowing three runs on six hits.

Manhattanville (11-8, 3-5 Freedom) will head to Dallas, Pa., tomorrow to complete the three-game conference series with Misericordia (13-5, 4-1 Freedom). The conference doubleheader is scheduled to begin at 1 p.m.