CENTER VALLEY, Pa. – The Manhattanville College baseball team settled for a split with second place DeSales University Sunday afternoon, falling in game one before taking the series finale in come-from-behind fashion at Butz Field.
 
Senior Chris Conklin (Yorktown Heights, N.Y./Lakeland) had a big day at the plate, going 3-for-6 with four RBIs, including a go-ahead two run single in game two. Fellow senior Robbie Lynch (Bronx, N.Y./Fordham Prep) also had a big day, going 4-for-6 with two RBIs and three runs scored, and junior Danny Gallagher (Nanuet, N.Y./Paramus Catholic) went 2-for-4 at the plate with a run scored Sunday.
 
Game One
 
In their first at bat, junior Danny Gallagher (Nanuet, N.Y./Paramus Catholic) singled to begin the game, and later came around to score on an infield single by R. Lynch to give Manhattanville a 1-0 lead, but it would not last long for the Valiants as DeSales plated four runs in the bottom half of the frame to take a three-run lead after the first stanza.
 
The two teams were held scoreless over the next three innings despite the Valiants putting three runners in scoring position during that span. The Crimson and Black could capitalize in the fifth however, when R. Lynch racked up another RBI, bringing home freshman Luke Tebolt (Wappingers Falls, N.Y./Roy C. Ketcham) with a single to left center to cut the deficit down to two runs. Freshman Peter Iannarilli (West Nyack, N.Y./Clarkstown South) continued the attack in the inning with a two-out RBI single to right center and senior Chris Conklin (Yorktown Heights, N.Y./Lakeland) leveled the scoring with another two-out knock, making it 4-4 with two innings to play.
 
Scoreless fifth and sixth innings took the game into the final frame still tied at four runs apiece before the Valiants took the lead on an RBI single by Conklin to lead by one with three outs to play.
 
Despite recording two outs in the bottom half of the frame, the Bulldogs used two hits, two walks, and a passed ball to score two runs for the walk-off victory in the first leg of the doubleheader.
 
 
Game Two
 
In the final game of the series, DeSales was the one to jump on the Valiants early, scoring a single run in their first two at bats against starting pitcher Danny Gallagher (Nanuet, N.Y./Paramus Catholic). The Valiants were held at bay early, recording just three hits in their first four at bats, unable to score despite runners in scoring position in the second, third, and fourth innings.
 
The Valiants finally struck in the fifth inning, getting on the board with a two-out single by pinch hitter Nick Campana (Yonkers, N.Y./St. John the Baptist Elementary) to cut the deficit in half. After freshman Stephen Merrill (Poughkeepsie, N.Y./Roy C. Ketcham) was hit by a pitch to load the bases, Conklin delivered another two-out single to bring home two more and give the Crimson and Black a 3-2 lead midway through the fifth.
 
It was all the support that relief pitcher Pat Badia (Somers, N.Y./Somers) would need, as the southpaw tossed four scoreless innings out of the pen, allowing just one base runner while striking out two to help the Valiants hang on for the 3-2 win, earning his second win of the season on the mound.
 
With the split Sunday, Manhattanville is now 7-8 in conference play this season with six league games remaining on the schedule. The Valiants will tune up for their final MAC Freedom stretch with two non-conference tilts this week when they host Purchase and Eastern Connecticut State Wednesday and Thursday at 4:00 pm.