PURCHASE, N.Y. – Playing their second game in as many days, the Manhattanville College varsity baseball team was defeated by New Jersey City University on Saturday afternoon. The 12-4 loss is the first blemish on the Valiants' home record this season, as Manhattanville drops to 3-1 at home and 5-3 overall on the season.

Big third and eighth innings by the Gothic Knights were the ultimate game changers on the day, as the Valiants were unable to mount a comeback at the plate to the pair of four-run innings by NJCU.

Matthew Messina (New Rochelle, N.Y./New Rochelle) took the loss on the mound, falling to 0-1 on the season. The junior lasted three innings in his start, allowing five runs on six hits and striking out one. Ricky Voss tagged Messina in the first with his second home run of the season to give the visitors an early 1-0 lead.

The Valiants got the run back in the bottom half of the frame as Tyler Mandel (Scarsdale, N.Y./Scarsdale) hit an RBI double to score Anthony Pressimone (Bronx, N.Y./Archbishop Stepinac). Manhattanville would then take the lead in the second. With one away, Joshua Gillison (Buchanan, N.Y./Hendrick Hudson) hit a double to center. Tyler Viscusi (Wappingers Falls, N.Y./Roy C. Ketcham) was hit by a pitch in the following at-bat before Brian Bornkamp (North Massapequa, N.Y./Plainedge) drew a walk to load the bases, Joe Silvestri was able to line one into left field to plated Gillsion before Braden Kunda (Eastchester, N.Y./Eastchester) hit a sacrifice fly to score Viscusi, taking a 3-1 lead into the third.

NJCU responded with their first big inning of the day, scoring four runs on five hits to bring an early end to Messina's day and put the Gothic Knights up 5-3.
The Gothic Knights tacked on two more runs in the fifth off of Jay Lockwood (Stamford, Conn./Stamford), using a pair of singles and a Valiant error to go ahead by four. Lockwood would go three innings out of the pen, surrendering three runs (one earned) on three hits and a pair of walks.

Manhattanville got one back in the sixth after Kunda was hit by a pitch with the bases loaded to score Joe McDonald (Coram, N.Y./Longwood). However, three runs would be as close as the Valiants would get the rest of the day, as the Gothic Knights plated another unearned run in the 7^th before tagging CJ Archul (West Nyack, N.Y./Clarkstown South) for four runs (three earned) in the 8^th. Given plenty of insurance to work with, Riley Morrow held the Valiants to three hits in his 3.1 scoreless innings of work, striking out three to earn his first save of the season.

Up Next
The busy baseball weekend continues tomorrow for Manhattanville as the Valiants head to New Jersey for a doubleheader at Montclair State starting at noon.

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