PURCHASE, N.Y. – The Manhattanville College baseball team fell in a non-conference tilt to the reigning national champions Eastern Connecticut State on Wednesday afternoon, 11-4. The Valiants fell to 10-17 overall on the year with the loss.
The Valiants initially hung tough against the No. 8 ranked team in the nation, entering the sixth inning tied 3-3. The Warriors would take control in the final four innings, however, outscoring Manhattanville 8-1 to close out the game.
Eastern Connecticut got off to a hot start with a pair of runs in the top of the first, capitalizing on a pair of Valiant miscues in the field. Manhattanville battled back immediately, loading the bases to open up the bottom half.
Marco Clara (Syosset, N.Y./Syosset) dropped in an RBI single to shallow right, scoring
Brian Bornkamp (North Massapequa, N.Y./Plainedge), while a
Michael Musantry (Mahopac, N.Y./Mahopac) fielder's choice brought home
Chris Goohs (Nesconset, N.Y./Smithtown H.S. East) with the tying run.
It wouldn't be until the fourth when the tie would be broken as the Warriors went on a two out rally. A hit by pitch and single put a pair of runners on for Zach Donahue. The junior drove in Tiernan Lynch from second, but was gunned down at second trying to scamper up a base on the relay home to end the inning with just the one run lead. The Valiants would score the equalizer in the fifth on a
Tyler Mandel (Scarsdale, N.Y./Scarsdale) fielder's choice that brought Bornkamp home with his second run of the game, tying the contest up at 3-3.
Ryan McCann (Medford, N.Y./Longwood) rose to the challenge against one of the nation's top teams, going four innings in the start while allowing three runs, one earned, on six hits while striking out three. He gave way to
Myles Durney (Port Chester, N.Y./Port Chester) who tossed a 1-2-3 fifth inning.
TJ Fuerst (Purchase, N.Y./Archbishop Stepinac) took to the mound to open up the sixth and recorded the first out before giving up a single and being hindered by an error in the field to put a pair aboard. The Warriors would capitalize as Noah Plantamuro brought home the go-ahead run on a sacrifice bunt, a lead Eastern Connecticut would hold the rest of the way. Fuerst would suffer the loss, falling to 1-2 on the season.
With the lead, the Warriors hit the Valiant bullpen hard for seven more runs over the final three innings.
Sean Demo (Cape May, N.J./St. Peter's Prep),
Travis Brescia (Putnam Valley, N.Y./Putnam Valley) and
Tommy Iazzetta (Thornwood, N.Y./Westlake) each allowed runs in their respective single innigns of work as Eastern Connecticut put a capper on the day with Lynch's grand slam in the ninth.
The Valiants' final run of the game came on a Mandel solo homer in the seventh, his fifth deep fly of the year. Manhattanville's only other extra base hit in the game would come off the bat of
Joshua Gillison (Buchanan, N.Y./Hendrick Hudson), a pinch-hit double in the sixth.
Up Next
Manhattanville returns to action on Friday for a Skyline doubleheader against Yeshiva. It will be an 11 a.m. start at Overpeck Park in New Jersey.
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