Box Score 1 | Box Score 2 ST. DAVID'S, Pa. – The Manhattanville baseball team won its 20th game of the season against Eastern on Saturday afternoon, splitting the Freedom Conference double header with the Eagles, winning game one, 6-4, before dropping game two by an 11-2 final.
 
Sophomore Jordanis Nunez (Bronx, N.Y./St. Raymond) and freshman Robbie Lynch (Bronx, N.Y./Fordham Prep) paved the way for Manhattanville (20-13, 13-8 Freedom), combining for seven hits, five RBIs, three home runs and three runs scored. Nunez connected on four hits of his own, including two homers in the split against Eastern (7-25, 6-15 Freedom).
 
As Freedom Conference play comes to a close, the Valiants have officially obtained the fourth seed headed into playoffs. Manhattanville will face a tough opponent in top-seeded DeSales, who beat the Valiants twice already this season.
 
Junior Zack Eklund (West Harrison, N.Y./Harrison) (3-1) started game one for Manhattanville, tossing four innings, allowing three earned runs on three total hits. With the backing of classmates Zach Zareva and Joe Palmeri (Mastic, N.Y./Eastport/South Manor) in the bullpen, the Valiants were able to escape game one with a 6-4 victory.
 
Manhattanville scored the first run of the game when it was Lynch connecting on a sacrifice fly to center field in the first inning, scoring Brady to make it 1-0. Eastern quickly answered in the first, scoring a run of its own on a groundout that tied the game at one.
 
The Eagles eventually took the lead in the next inning, scoring off an error by Nunez at shortstop, making it 2-1. With the Valiants down by one run headed into the third, Lynch stepped up with a runner on, belting a two-run dinger, giving Manhattanville a 3-2 lead.
 
As Eklund threw a scoreless third inning, the Eagles were able to take advantage of him in the fourth when Eric Rossi blasted a two-run home run, giving Eastern back the lead at 4-3. After the home run from Rossi, the Valiants battled back in the next inning as Nunez tied the game at four with a solo home run in the fifth.
 
With Zareva replacing Eklund in the fifth, the Eagles were unable to find an answer against the southpaw, as the lefty tossed 2 1/3 innings, allowing no runs on two hits. Manhattanville was able to take advantage of the Eastern miscues in the sixth, taking the lead when junior Kevin Brady (Bronx, N.Y./Fordham Prep) almost turned an infield single into scoring a run at home plate. Due to an error out in center field, Anselmi came around to score from second while Brady was throw out at the plate, giving Manhattanville a 5-4 lead.
 
Zareva shut down the Eagles 1-2-3 in the sixth before the Valiants secured an insurance run in the seventh, making it 6-4. Palmeri entered in the seventh, closing the door on the Eagles while picking up his fifth save of the season en route to a 6-4 win.
 
Senior Joe Pareres (Bronxville, N.Y./Fordham Prep) made the start for the Valiants in game two, throwing only three innings, allowing four earned runs on nine hits. The Manhattanville pitching struggled to gather rhythm against the potent Eastern offense in game two, giving up 11 runs on 15 total hits.
 
Nunez picked up where he left off from in game one, hammering a solo home run in the first inning to make it 1-0. Unfortunately for Manhattanville, Eastern made the Valiants pay for their mistakes, scoring four runs on two separate errors.
 
Eastern was a different team in game two as the Eagles jumped out to an 11-1 lead after a big sixth inning. Behind their starter, Austin Little, the Eagles cruised past Manhattanville. Little went the distance, allowing two unearned runs on eight hits. The Valiants struggled to produce against Little; not scoring again until the last inning when freshman Vincezo Pepe brought home junior Jeff Moskowitz (Succasunna, N.J./Roxbury) on a groundout.
 
The Valiants had won seven straight conference games before losing game two to Eastern, 11-2.
 
Manhattanville will travel to Western Connecticut State on Monday for a double header starting at 4:00 p.m. before making a trip to the Freedom Conference Tournament. Live stats against Western Connecticut can be accessed via GoValiants.com.