ASTON, Pa. - The Manhattanville College baseball team split its first doubleheader action of the season, on the road against the Knights of Neumann on Saturday. The split decision moves the Valiants to 4-3 on the young season.
Game One: Manhattanville 3, Neumann 1
Ryan McCann (Medford, N.Y./Longwood) shined on the mound for the Valiants, as the sophomore went the distance in the seven-inning contest, allowing just one earned run on three hits, with a career-high mark of eight strikeouts.
Following a one-two-three top of the first, the Knights took the game's first lead after Brandon Colon singled to center field, with Isaiah Payton producing a single of his own into the outfield to load two runners on. Joe Boccio grounded out to the shortstop, allowing the baserunner on third to cross the plate and take the early 1-0 lead.
The next two innings totaled one hit between both squads until the Valiants broke through with Joshua Gillison (Buchanan, N.Y./Hendrick Hudson) reaching on a fielder's choice. Ryan Osso (Eastchester, N.Y./Eastchester) would subsequently reach on a hit-by-pitch to advance the runner on first. Mike Ambrosecchia (Mahopac, N.Y./Mahopac) would plate the Valiants' first runner of the game on a single to right field, tying the contest at 1-1 as the top of the inning ended.
Manhattanville would have a chance to take the lead in the top of the fifth, Jake Parisi (Centereach, N.Y./Centereach) would rocket himself a double to left field, putting himself one hit away from 100 for his colligate career. Gregory Tashik (Midland Park, N.J./Midland Park Jr./Sr.), fresh off his D3Baseball.com team of the week honors, brought home Parisi with a single through the right side, giving the Valiants their first lead of the contest, 2-1.
The Valiants would shut out the Knights in the top sixth, making way for them to tack on insurance runs, as Chris Goohs (Nesconset, N.Y./Smithtown H.S. East) pinch-hit and reached base with a walk. He was then pinch-run for by CJ Archul (West Nyack, N.Y./Clarkstown South), Archul advanced on a sacrifice bunt, then was moved up again by a groundout to the second baseman. Archul crossed the plate thanks to a wild pitch, putting the score at 3-1 in the Valiants' favor.
McCann continued to do what he did all day, shut down the Neumann batters. He produced two-straight fly outs to the outfield, with the final out of the first game being made by the third baseman and seeing the scoreboard show a 3-1 Valiant victory in game one.
Game Two: Manhattanville 9, Neumann 15
In a game which saw both teams combine for 16 runs in the sixth inning, the Knights would emerge victorious as their nine-run total in the bottom of the sixth proved to be too much for the Valiants.
Parisi led off the game with a single to the third base side of the infield for his 100th career hit, but the Valiants failed to string together offense in the half-inning, stranding two runners on base.
Neumann would once again put up a tally in the bottom of the first, as AJ Nardo walked and Andrew Curran would also reach base with a walk, leading to Marcus White bringing home one run with an RBI double, to take a 1-0 lead.
The Knights would continue to add to their lead in the bottom of the third as Nardo would reach base again, this time with a single to center field, leading to Finger reaching on a fielding error then moving up thanks to a throwing error in the outfield, Curran would bring Nardo and Finger home with a single to left field. White would clear the bases with a shot to left field to bring the score to 5-0 in the Knights favor.
Neuman added one to that tally with Finger making his way around the bases with help from the Valiants defense allowing him to be sat on second base. Rakotz would bring him from with a drive to left field, making the lead six.
Things would swing in the Valiants' favor in the top of the sixth, kicked off by Parisi's single to left center. Ambroseccia would follow that up with a single of his own to right center moving Parisi over. Joseph McDonald (Coram, N.Y./Longwood) plated Parisi, with Gillison walking subsequently after to load the bases. Michael Musantry (Mahopac, N.Y./Mahopac) continued the singles train with one of his own for the second run of the inning. Goohs would launch the first home run of the season for the Valiants in a big spot, for his second career home run and first career grand slam, clearing the bases and tying the game at six all. Manhattanville would take their first lead of the game off the bat of Tashik, who doubled to left center to take a 7-6 lead as the final out was recorded in the top sixth.
The script would completely flip in the bottom half of the inning, as the Knights plated nine runs in the frame, and batting around to put the score at 15-7 in Neumann's favor.
Manhattanville would attempt to claw back from the deficit placed before them, as Anthony Caputo (Cortlandt Manor, N.Y./Walter Panas) drove in two runs on a double to left field, to show the final score at 15-9 for the Knights.
TJ Fuerst (Purchase, N.Y./Archbishop Stepinac) was tabbed with the loss on the mound, as they came in relief of three previous pitchers, throwing one-third of an inning.
Up Next
The Valiants remain on the road, taking on Centenary for their second doubleheader of the weekend.
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