Box Score PURCHASE, N.Y. – The Manhattanville baseball team dropped the opener of its three game series with the DeSales Bulldogs on Friday afternoon in a 10-7 loss at Manhattanville Field. The Valiants scored three runs in the bottom of the ninth inning but it wasn't enough as the Bulldogs held on for the victory.
 
The Valiants spotted the Bulldogs three runs in the top of the first inning as a two out error extended the inning, which was followed by a two run double off the bat of Derek Chrismer to put the road team up by three. Junior Spencer Samelson (Larchmont, N.Y./Mamaroneck) got the next batter to ground out on the first pitch to end the inning.
 
In the bottom of the second inning, sophomore Kevin Brady (Bronx, N.Y./Fordham Prep) got a rally started with a one out single. Senior John Bucci (Port Chester, N.Y./Port Chester) missed a home run to right centerfield by a few feet as he drilled a double off the top of the wall to bring around Brady, up next was Arias, who put a long single into center that allowed Bucci to score as Manhattanville trimmed the lead to one.
 
The first four batters reached in the top of the third inning, and three more runs scored in the frame as the Valiants booted the ball around in the field, committing three more errors to keep the Bulldogs at the plate. The score was 6-2 heading to the bottom of the third.
 
The Valiants tacked on a run in the bottom half of the frame as senior Sean Ferguson (Astoria, N.Y./Xavier) and classmate Johnny LoVetere (Southbury, Conn./Canterbury) singled to start off the inning. After sophomore Bobby Guerra (Bronx, N.Y./Arlington) grounded out to advance Ferguson to third, Brady brought home the runner on a sacrifice fly to centerfield.
 
Samelson put two of the first three runners on in the next half inning, but got a line drive double play as freshman Kurt Hommen (Ridgewood, N.J./Ridgewood) caught a line drive hit on the screws, then flipped to classmate Jordanis Nunez (Bronx, N.Y./St. Raymond) at the second base bag to end the Bulldog threat.
 
DeSales added two more runs in the top of the fifth on an Evan Fraser single, then put one more run on the scoreboard in the top of the seventh to take a 9-3 lead as Samelson continued to pitch well despite the crooked numbers put up against him.
 
In the bottom of the seventh, sophomore Nick Euvino (Bronx, N.Y./Archbishop Stepinac) singled then stole second and third just ahead of a LoVetere single to score Manhattanville's fourth run of the game on a 2-0 pitch. In the next half inning, junior V.J. Collins (Poughkeepsie, N.Y./Arlington) came onto the hill, and set down DeSales in order. Collins got into trouble in the next inning as the bases were loaded with one out, he plunked the next batter to force home a run as DeSales reached double figures on the scoreboard with 10.
 
In the bottom of the ninth, Trevor Conners came on to relieve Chris Polaski, who had pitched five innings in relief and was in line for the win. Conners faced four batters without recording an out as Euvino walked, Ferguson singled as did LoVetere, while pinch hitter Nate Trashansky (Babylon, N.Y./North Babylon) also walked with a wild pitch sandwiched in between to score Euvino.
 
Tyler Reyes came on in relief and also struggled to find the strike zone but did get a pair of outs on a fielder's choice and a sacrifice fly as two inherited runners came in to score. Junior Hans Arias (Bronx, N.Y./St. Raymond) doubled to left to bring up the tying run to the plate. Junior Elias Tsouristakis was the last hope for Manhattanville, looking to come back from a six-run deficit and was just under a ball that ended up in the left fielder's glove against the fence to end the Valiant threat and end the ballgame.
 
Earning the win was Polaski, who pitched five innings of relief to earn his second victory of the season after coming on for Dan Gayeski, who went three-plus innings and allowed three runs on nine Manhattanville hits. Conners and Reyes combined to allow three runs on three hits in the bottom of the ninth before Chris Zampini came on to notch his second save of the year by getting Tsouristakis. Taking the loss was Samelson, after going seven innings and allowing just three earned runs on nine hits, Collins went the final two innings and allowed an unearned run on two hits.
 
Manhattanville (10-22, 7-9 Freedom) and DeSales (24-8, 13-3 Freedom) will conclude their series in Center Valley, Pa. tomorrow afternoon in a doubleheader set to begin at 1:30 p.m. The game was moved back to 1:30 in order to give the DeSales grounds crew a chance to get the field ready with the threat of rain in the northeast throughout the night.