Box Score NEWBURGH, N.Y. – Sophomore Jordanis Nunez (Bronx, N.Y./St. Raymond) stroked four hits and seven RBIs for the Manhattanville baseball team on Wednesday afternoon, leading the Valiants past non-conference foe Mount St. Mary, 11-8.
 
Nunez continued to wreak havoc at the plate for the Valiants, connecting on four hits in four at-bats against the Knights, raising his batting average to .417. The sophomore shortstop knocked in a career-high seven RBIs while also scoring twice in the victory for the Valiants. The seven runs batted in are tied for second on the school's single-game list, behind only an eight-RBI effort from Chris Marker '95 at Stevens on April 22, 1995.
 
A late rally in the eighth inning gave Manhattanville (9-10) the push past Mount St. Mary (10-8), winning its second consecutive game. For Manhattanville head coach Jeff Caulfield, this victory puts him one win away from 200 total.
 
Freshman Joe Anselmi (North Rockland, N.Y./North Rockland) received the start for the Valiants, tallying two innings of work, allowing three runs on four total hits. Manhattanville sent five separate pitchers to the mound on Wednesday, including junior Zack Eklund (West Harrison, N.Y./Harrison) (2-1) who picked up his second win of the year.
 
The Valiants jumped on the Knights quick, scoring two runs in the first inning off a Nunez single and Anselmi double. Mount St. Mary answered quickly, matching Manhattanville with two runs of its own, making it 2-2 after one inning.
 
Both teams went back to work in the next inning as Nunez again connected on a single up the middle, bringing in freshman Vincenzo Pepe (Middletown, N.Y./Middletown) for the Valiants and helping take a 4-2 lead. After a single from Vinnie Carminati in the second for the Knights, the Manhattanville lead dwindled to one run, 4-3.
 
With a 4-3 lead after a scoreless third frame, Nunez stepped back up to the plate in the fourth, smoking a double to left field, scoring junior Nick Euvino (Bronx, N.Y./Archbishop Stepinac) and putting the Valiants up 5-3. The Knights responded to Manhattanville in the fifth by tallying three runs off sophomore Julian Ponce (Port Chester, N.Y./Archbishop Stepinac) and senior Alex Basso (Putnam Valley, N.Y./Putnam Valley), giving Mount St. Mary its first lead of the game at 6-5.
 
Trailing by one run headed into the sixth inning was not an issue, especially with Nunez receiving the chance to bat with runners on. Nunez stepped up to the plate with the bases loaded and did not disappoint, doubling to right field, scoring junior classmates Kevin Brady (Bronx, N.Y./Fordham Prep) and Jeff Moskowitz (Succasunna, N.J./Roxbury).
 
As the Valiants headed into the bottom half of the sixth in control of a 7-6 lead, just like most of the afternoon, Mount St. Mary had an answer. The Knights regained their lead in the sixth, scoring two runs to go up by one, 8-7.
 
After a scoreless seventh, the Valiants generated a rally in the eighth, jumping out to an 11-8 lead as junior Bobby Guerra (Bronx, N.Y./Arlington) knocked in two runners with a single up the middle. Eklund dominated the Knights on the mound in 2 2/3 innings, throwing shutout baseball while allowing only two hits. Sophomore Sam Garito (New Rochelle, N.Y./Iona Prep) entered the game with two outs in the ninth, retrieving the last out as the Valiants moved past the Knights, 11-8.
 
Manhattanville will next play on Friday at home in an important Freedom Conference matchup against Wilkes starting at 3:30 p.m. Live stats are available via GoValiants.com