Box Score  QUAKERTOWN, Pa. – The Manhattanville baseball team fell behind 5-0 to nationally ranked #10 and top seeded Misericordia Cougars in the opening game of the Freedom Conference Championship, but the Valiant offense erupted for 11 runs in the final three innings to defeat Misericordia, 11-5.

Manhattanville (16-20) will next play the winner of tomorrow morning's DeSales/FDU-Florham matchup tomorrow night at 7 p.m. Meanwhile, Misericordia (32-8) will face elimination in tomorrow's second game when they will take on the loser of the contest between the Bulldogs and Devils.

The late-inning rally was fueled by Freedom Conference Player of the Year Dan Fiorito (Yonkers, N.Y./Fordham Prep), who homered in his last three at-bats in the seventh, eighth and ninth innings, driving in five runs in the process. The three home runs in one game make Fiorito the first to accomplish the feat since Steve Schucker hit a program-record three on April 27, 1985. Fiorito's 12 homers this season also set a new program standard, breaking the previous record of 10 that had not been matched since 1987.

As a team the Valiants collected 21 hits, making it the fourth time this season the team has collected 20 or more hits in a single game and falling one shy of their season high against FDU-Florham on April 6.

Early on the Valiant offense scattered eight hits through the first six innings of the game without scoring a run, which included an early 3-for-3 performance from senior Chris Nardozzi (Poughkeepsie, N.Y./Roy C. Ketcham).

The Valiants got one runner on in the top of the fourth, but couldn't bring him around. In the bottom of the fourth the Cougars broke through, piecing together a single, hit by pitch and a double off the bat of Gabe Noyalis to bring home the first run. The next batter reached on a fielder's choice as Fiorito tagged the runner behind him as the second run crossed the plate.

Manhattanville got two more runners on again in the fifth as junior Johnny LoVetere (Southbury, Conn./Canterbury) reached and was replaced by Fiorito on a fielder's choice. Nardozzi singled but again Misericordia's Evan Robaczewski got out of the frame unscathed. In the bottom of the fifth freshman Michael Lyon (North Babylon, N.Y./North Babylon) allowed two more runs on a two-run double from Jeff Slanovec to open up a 4-0 Cougar lead.

In the bottom of the sixth the Cougars tacked on one more run to expand the lead to 5-0, in the process Lyon was bumped from the game and replaced by classmate Joe Palmeri (Mastic, N.Y./Eastport/South Manor), who needed one pitch to get out of the inning.

In the top of the seventh the Valiant bats woke up against Robaczewski, scoring six times to take their first lead of the game. LoVetere started the tally with a single and was brought around on a two-run homer by Fiorito. The next two batters were retired, but freshman Kevin Brady (Bronx, N.Y./Fordham Prep) and junior John Bucci (Port Chester, N.Y./Port Chester) singled to extend the inning, followed by sophomore Elias Tsouristakis getting hit by a pitch to load the bases.  Freshman Bobby Guerra (Bronx, N.Y./Arlington) then delivered a big two-run single to left field to bring home two more runs to pull the Valiants within one.

Sophomore Hans Arias (Bronx, N.Y./St. Raymond) was up next and singled to right to tie the game at five, chasing Robaczewski in the process. Next up with the chance to put the Valiants ahead was LoVetere, and he did just that with a base hit to right field to put Manhattanville up 6-5.

Palmeri set the Cougars down 1-2-3 in the seventh to bring up the Valiants to the plate once again. Fiorito led off with a solo home run to straight-away centerfield to give the Valiants a two-run cushion up 7-5. After Nardozzi, junior Sean Ferguson (Astoria, N.Y./Xavier) and Bucci loaded the bases, freshman Nick Euvino (Bronx, N.Y./Archbishop Stepinac) singled to center field to bring around Nardozzi and Ferguson to score the eighth and ninth unanswered runs.

Senior A.J. Marini (Fair Lawn, N.J./Paramus Catholic) came on to pitch the bottom of the eighth and struck out the first two batters he faced. The next two batters reached, but Marini settled down and got the third out on a deep fly ball to centerfield.

LoVetere led off the top of the ninth with his fourth hit of the evening, and up next was Fiorito already with two home runs in his previous two at bats. Fiorito turned on a pitch sending it over the left field wall for his third consecutive home run and his fourth and fifth RBI of the night.

Marini got a little help from his defense after a one out hit and a walk, when Brady began the turn to Fiorito and then on to Nardozzi at first to end the ballgame and give Manhattanville their first victory over Misericordia in four attempts this season.

Earning the win in relief was Palmeri (2-2) after pitching 1 1/3 hitless innings after coming on to replace Lyon, who allowed five runs on seven hits over 5 2/3 innings. Marini came on and scattered three hits and a walk over the final two innings. Taking his first loss of the season was Robaczewski (10-1), who allowed the first six Valiant runs on 14 hits over 6 2/3; Peter Clark came on to pitch the final 2 1/3 and allowed five runs on seven hits.