PURCHASE, N.Y. - Riding high off their sweep of Saint Elizabeth one day ago, Marco Clara (Syosset, N.Y./Syosset) walked off the Valiants against New Jersey City in the bottom of the 10th inning for a final score of 8-7. Clara stepped to the plate as a pinch hitter, swinging on the first pitch in the zone, driving it to left field, and bringing home the runner placed on third. With the late-game heroics, the Valiants now see themselves with three straight tallies in the win column, residing at 12-14 overall. 

The heroics were set up by Joshua Gillison (Buchanan, N.Y./Hendrick Hudson), who led off the top of the tenth with a double to right center that hit off the middle of the outfield wall. Anthony Mezzaucella (New Rochelle, N.Y./New Rochelle) came in to run the bases for Gillison, subsequently swiping third base and making way for Clara to do the deed. 

Chris Antonelli (Yonkers, N.Y./Archbishop Stepinac) notched the win for the Valiants, as his five innings in relief helped propel the Valiants. In what became his second win of the season, the senior allowed only two runs on four hits while also striking out four batters. 

The Gothic Knights jumped all over the Valiants in the opening frame of the contest, as the leadoff man Jeremy Ricourt singled right back to the pitcher up the middle. The next batter would reach on a hit-by-pitch making way for Garrett Allo to single up the middle again driving in the runner on second for the first run of the contest. Two batters later the game would sit at 2-0 when Enrique Beltra hit another single, this time into center field for the second run of the inning. 

Manhattanville would answer back in the bottom of the second after Chris Goohs (Nesconset, N.Y./Smithtown H.S. East) would lead off with a double to right center. Deven Silva (Yonkers, N.Y./Mount Saint Michael Academy) would reach on a walk after Goohs was moved up to third, giving Braden Kunda (Eastchester, N.Y./Eastchester) a runner in scoring position. Kunda would capitalize on that opportunity with his own double to right center, slicing into the Gothic Knights' lead for a score of 2-1. 

NJCU would answer back immediately, scoring on a delayed double steal with runners on the corners, as Beltra would single to center field again, driving in another run for a score of 4-1 as the game headed into the bottom of the third. 

The Gothic Knights would continue to add to their lead next time up, when the leadoff hitter reached due to a wild throw from the third baseman, advancing to second when the ball trickled into foul territory. Justin Rodriguez would take advantage of the error, driving in the man on second with a single for a 5-1 lead. 

The Valiants would answer back in a huge way in the bottom half of the inning, putting up a crooked number on the scoreboard. Silva kicked off the rally with a single down the left field line, being moved up twice in the next two at bats. Gillison would take first base thanks to a breaking pitch that hit him in the torso, making way for Gregory Tashik (Midland Park, N.J./Midland Park Jr./Sr.) to walk, loading the bases. Ryan Osso (Eastchester, N.Y./Eastchester) would walk in the first run of the inning, keeping the bases loaded for Jake Parisi (Centereach, N.Y./Centereach). Parisi hit a bases-clearing double down the left field line to tie the contest at 5-all. In the next at-bat, Goohs would strike a pitch to the right foul pole making the trip around the bases and sliding in for a two RBI inside-the-park homerun, giving the Valiants the 7-5 lead. 

New Jersey City would level the score in the top eight, using two back-to-back singles and a walk to load the bases, making way for the runner on third to score from a wild pitch, moving all the runners up a base. Mike Novak hit a sacrifice fly to center field, letting the runner on third tag up and tie the contest at 7-7, setting up extra innings later in the game. 

Up Next 

The Valiants take a much-needed day off after playing three days in a row, hitting the road on Wednesday when they head to the electric city to take on Marywood at 3:30 p.m. 

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