Box Score QUAKERTOWN, Pa. – The Manhattanville baseball team took a 4-2 lead heading to the bottom of the ninth inning, but the Misericordia Cougars came back with three runs in the bottom half to defeat the Valiants 5-4 in an elimination game at the 2012 Freedom Conference Championship in Quakertown, Pa.

The Manhattanville defense was the star of the show in the early portion of the game, in the bottom of the first Bubba Jasinski popped up a bunt that senior Pat Yannucci (New Hyde Park, N.Y./Sewanhaka) dived off the mound to make the catch then doubled the runner off first base after he broke towards second base.

In the bottom of the third senior Dan Fiorito (Yonkers, N.Y./Fordham Prep) made a pair of great plays on the defensive side of the ball with a play deep in the hole for the second out. For the third out of the inning Fiorito followed up with a bare-handed play to keep the Cougars off the board.

The Valiants had a chance for an early lead with a bases loaded situation in the top of the fourth, but Misericordia starter Gabe Noyalis stranded all three with a groundout to end the threat.

Manhattanville continued its great defensive play in the fourth inning after two batters reached base with two down, after Ryan Cacchili singled to right field junior Sean Ferguson (Astoria, N.Y./Xavier) threw a great ball to sophomore Elias Tsouristakis who applied the tag to retire the third Cougar of the inning.

Yannucci got into some trouble in the bottom of the fifth as the first two batters reached. Joe Tagliarini hit a fly ball to centerfield that dropped which allowed the first run to score, junior John Bucci (Port Chester, N.Y./Port Chester) threw out Chris Tuttle trying to stretch and get to third base.
Misericordia added to their lead in the bottom of the sixth with a one out home run off the bat of Jeff Slanovec to make the score 2-0.

The Valiants continued to excel defensively in the bottom of the seventh inning after Tagliarini reached on an infield single to Fiorito, but after the ball was thrown past first base, Tagliarini tried to extend into a two base hit but was thrown out after Tsouristakis threw to senior Chris Nardozzi (Poughkeepsie, N.Y./Roy C. Ketcham) who applied the tag. Freshman Kevin Brady (Bronx, N.Y./Fordham Prep) ended the inning with an over-the-shoulder catch while streaking deep into foul territory to retire the side.

The late-inning magic began again for the Valiants as Tsouristakis walked to start off the inning, followed by classmate Hans Arias (Bronx, N.Y./St. Raymond) reaching on a single. Junior Johnny LoVetere (Southbury, Conn./Canterbury) singled through the right side to load the based. Two batters later senior Chris Nardozzi (Poughkeepsie, N.Y./Roy C. Ketcham) came up and singled to cut the lead in half at 2-1. Ferguson came up and grounded out which allowed the Valiants to even the score.

Senior A.J. Marini (Fair Lawn, N.J./Paramus Catholic) who had come on in the previous inning worked around a leadoff walk in the bottom of the eighth to send it to the ninth.

In the top of the ninth Brady led off with a single, to bring up freshman Bobby Guerra (Bronx, N.Y./Arlington) who sent a pitch sailing over the left field wall to give Manhattanville their first lead of the game at 4-2 which sent Noyalis to the dugout and brought on Corey Lee who got out of the ninth unscathed.

In the bottom of the ninth Marini stayed on and allowed the first two batters to reach, which brought on freshman Joe Palmeri (Mastic, N.Y./Eastport/South Manor) to pitch for the Valiants. Andrew Tressa reached on a bunt single to load the bases, the next three batters for Misericordia all singled with the final blow coming off the bat of Slanovec who sent the Cougars to a walk-off victory and into the championship round against DeSales.

Taking the loss was Palmeri (2-3) who was unable to retire a batter while allowing one run on four hits. Yannucci left the game after 5 2/3 innings allowing a pair of runs on eight hits, Marini allowed two runs on a hit in his 2 1/3 innings of relief work. Earning the win was Lee (4-0) who pitched a hitless ninth inning, Noyalis pitched eight innings and allowed all four Valiant runs on seven hits while striking out four.

Manhattanville finishes the season with a 16-22 record, while reaching the Freedom Conference Championship after being selected to finish fifth in the 2012 preseason poll.