PURCHASE, N.Y. – The Manhattanville College baseball team scored five runs in the eighth to earn a comeback win over Western Connecticut State University on Wednesday by a final of 10-8. The non-conference win improves Manhattanville's record to 9-10 on the year.

Trailing 7-5 entering the bottom of the eighth, the Valiants scored five runs on three hits and four WestConn errors to jump ahead late and secure the win. Stepping up to the plate with the bases loaded and two outs, Brian Bornkamp (North Massapequa, N.Y./Plainedge) delivered with a two run double, scoring Michael Matica (Pleasantville, N.Y./Pleasantville) and Frank Delgado (West Nyack, N.Y./Clarkstown South) with the tying runs. Two more runs came around to score on the second WestConn error of the inning as a Jake Parisi (Centereach, N.Y./Centereach) grounder rolled through the legs of WestConn's shortstop to allow Gabe Astrologo (Cortlandt Manor, N.Y./Kennedy Catholic Prep) and Bornkamp to score. The final run came to the plate as a result of catcher's interference on CJ Archul's (West Nyack, N.Y./Clarkstown South) at-bat, brining Parisi home with the bases loaded.

Ian Murray (Commack, N.Y./Commack), Myles Durney (Port Chester, N.Y./Port Chester) and Tommy Iazzetta (Thornwood, N.Y./Westlake) all toed the rubber in the ninth as the rain-soaked affair would not end without one last fighting effort by the Wolves. A single and a pair of walks put the tying runs aboard with nobody out. Durney was able to induce a crucial double play to prevent a run from scoring and retire a pair of Wolves before giving way to Iazzetta, who allowed one inherited runner to score before getting the game-ending pop up to secure his second save of the year.

Murray earned the win for the Valiants with his two-plus innings of work on the mound. He would be charged with the one run in the ninth as he scattered five hits and a pair of walks while striking out three.

Manhattanville led after one courtesy of a Tyler Mandel (Scarsdale, N.Y./Scarsdale) two-run homer, his second home run of the season. WestConn tied up the contest when they return to bat in the second to begin a string of seven runs scored over the next five innings as the visitors built out a 7-2 lead halfway through the sixth. Aidan Tumbleson (Manalapan, N.J./Manalapan) was the main victim of the Wolves offense, getting tagged for six runs (three earned) on five hits in his four innings in the start, Jay Lockwood (Stamford, Conn./Stamford) was the first man out of the pen, throwing two innings and allowing just one run before giving way to Murray in the seventh.

Down five runs, the Valiants began their comeback effort in the bottom of the sixth. With two on and two away, Marco Clara (Syosset, N.Y./Syosset) hit a sharp grounder past first base that scored Joshua Gillison (Buchanan, N.Y./Hendrick Hudson) and Mandel. The rally continued to bring Matica to the dish who dropped a single into right to score Anthony Caputo (Cortlandt Manor, N.Y./Walter Panas) and pull the Valiants within two, setting the stage for their eighth inning heroics.

Bornkamp, Mandel and Clara each recorded a pair of hits in the contest with two RBI apiece.

Up Next
After playing six games in the last four days, the Valiants get a much needed breather for the remainder of the week before returning to action on Saturday. Manhattanville hosts Saint Joseph's Long Island for a Skyline doubleheader at noon.

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