Game One Boxscore
Game Two Boxscore

SWOYERSVILLE, Pa. – The Manhattanville baseball team dropped an important doubleheader to Freedom Conference foe Misericordia University, allowing the Cougars to take the season series sweep over the Valiants on a cool Saturday afternoon at Roosevelt Field.

The Valiants dropped both games due to costly defensive plays, as the hosts took a 5-3 win in game one and then a 2-1 win in eight innings in the finale. In both contests, the Valiants had to battle back from early deficits, only to surrender late-inning runs.

In the first game of the afternoon, Misericordia put up three runs in the third inning, before a run in the fourth by the Valiants made it a 3-1 lead. Sophomore Johnny LoVetere (Southbury, Conn./Canterbury) singled in junior Dan Fiorito (Yonkers, N.Y./Fordham Prep), who later hit his second home run in as many games. Fiorito's two-run long-ball in the fifth inning tied the contest for the Valiants.

However, the hosts added two more runs in the bottom of the sixth inning to take the lead on a single by Joe Tagliarini and an RBI ground out by Andres Gonzalez. Freshman and current Freedom Conference Pitcher of the Week Alex Basso (Putnam Valley, N.Y./Putnam Valley) was dealt the first defeat of his young career by allowing five runs in 5.1 innings of work, but none were earned on seven hits. Basso (3-1) also struck out five batters and was replaced by senior Joe Donnelly (Patterson, N.Y./Carmel) for the final two outs of the sixth inning.  Pete Dogget improved to 3-0 for the Cougars as he pitched 1.2 innings of relief work.

The finale of the series was a real pitchers' duel, as senior Chad Wallace (Yorktown Heights, N.Y./Yorktown) turned in another reliable outing as a spot starter by going 5.1 innings and allowing one run on three hits. Misericordia starter Mike Pena pitched six innings of three-hit ball.

In the sixth inning, Frank Santarsier scored the first run of the game on a sacrifice fly to center field by Nate Newman. In the top of the seventh, the Valiants tied the game on an RBI single by LoVetere to score freshman Ryan Blinderman (Fairfield, Conn./Fairfield Warde), who pinch ran for classmate Matt Korman (Trumbull, Conn./Christian Heritage).

The Cougars won the game in the eighth inning on a squeeze bunt by Gonzalez with one out and runners on second and third after a wild pitch advanced the runners. Junior Donny Pitasi (Mount Kisco, N.Y./Fox Lane) allowed the winning run and is now 0-4 on the season.

Manhattanville (11-10, 3-7 Freedom) will head back to Pennsylvania tomorrow to complete a three-game set with a doubleheader against Delaware Valley beginning at 1 p.m.