ANNANDALE-ON-HUDSON, N.Y. - Plating 21 runs on the day, the Manhattanville University baseball team was successful in their opening day ventures up to Honey Field, downing Bard in both contests, 11-6 and 10-5.
Game One: Manhattanville 11, Bard 6 (7 Innings)
Ray White (Mohegan Lake, N.Y./Lakeland) got the start on the bump for the Valiants, collecting his first win on the season by twirling four and one third innings, allowing only one earned run on five hits.
Manhattanville would get the scoring started in the top of the first inning, putting up a one spot in the first frame of the 2025 campaign. CJ Archul (West Nyack, N.Y./Clarkstown South) would lead off the inning with a single up the middle, stealing second and then swiping third base and being brought home on a grounder to the shortstop.
No action would be seen on the scoreboard until the home squad evened things up in the bottom half of the third after Anna reached on a throwing error from the shortstop, making his way around to score unearned and tying the game at 1-1.
The Raptors would take the lead in bottom fourth when Plenn reached on a single up the hole, followed by Lynch singling to the left side of the infield as Plenn made his way around the bases to score from a throwing error by the first baseman. Lynch would subsequently advance on a wild pitch and scored from an errant from by the Valiant backstop, pinning the game at 3-1 for Bard.
The Valiants would answer back in a big way, putting up a crooked four spot to regain the lead started by Marco Clara (Syosset, N.Y./Syosset) who singled up the middle making way for Joseph McDonald (Coram, N.Y./Longwood) to work a full count walk. Joshua Gillison (Buchanan, N.Y./Hendrick Hudson) would produce a single of his own to first base, pinch ran for by Brian Brezosky (Garnerville, N.Y./North Rockland). Justin Encarnacion (Bronx, N.Y./Cardinal Hayes) would step to the plate and smack a bases-loaded triple on the first pitch of the at-bat, clearing the bases with a three RBI swing to right center. Frank Delgado (West Nyack, N.Y./Clarkstown South) then grounded out to the pitcher to bring home Encarnacion, for the 5-3 lead.
Bard would start the next bottom half of the inning with a leadoff triple from Hall being brought home by Dumper for the 5-4 margin. That run proved to be all for White, as the Valiant hurler was relieved in the inning by Gregory Esposito (Katonah, N.Y./John Jay). The Raptors would eventually even the score with a bases-loaded passed ball to bring home the runner on third, settling the score at 5-5.
Manhattanville would use another big inning at the top sixth to push their margin to six, kickstarted by Gregory Tashik (Midland Park, N.J./Midland Park Jr./Sr.) lacing a single to center. Clara would also reach base from a walk making way for Anthony Mezzaucella (New Rochelle, N.Y./New Rochelle) to pinch run. A perfectly timed double steal would force the Raptor catcher into a throwing error for the first run of the inning. Brezosky singled through the left side of the infield to bring in one more run. A balk brought in another base runner leading to one more runner crossing the plate from a Raptor miscue. Gabe Astrologo (Cortlandt Manor, N.Y./Kennedy Catholic Prep) capped off the inning with a single to shortstop scoring two runs, putting the scorebook at 11-5.
Bard would net a consolation run in the bottom seventh, but it was too little, too late as the Valiants took game one 11-6.
Game Two: Manhattanville 10, Bard 5
Ryan McCann (Medford, N.Y./Longwood) got the ball for game two and continued to build on his standout performance from last year, tossing five innings of one run ball leading to his first win.
The game would be held scoreless until the top of the second when Clara and McDonald would make their way on the basepath, both making the trip back home from a fielder's choice and a throwing error by the shortstop leading to Mezzaucella singling to drive in one more run, pinning the score at 3-0.
Bard would get on the board thanks to a one out single to third, leading to a triple to right field to bring home the lone baserunner, 3-1.
Anthony Caputo (Cortlandt Manor, N.Y./Walter Panas) got the Valiants another run in the top fourth with a single to the left side of the infield with one out, swiping second and making his way to third. Caputo was brought in by a throwing error from the second baseman, for a 4-1 margin.
Three more runs for the Valiant offense would come in the next time around with Tashik taking his base after being hit with a pitch. Chris Goohs (Nesconset, N.Y./Smithtown H.S. East) doubled in his at bat to push the runner to third, followed by a Clara sacrifice fly to center bringing in the man on third. Goohs would come around to score from a wild pitch while Ryan Osso (Eastchester, N.Y./Eastchester) would score from a throwing error by the catcher for two more runs, 7-1.
Tashik would continue to reach base on the day this time with a triple to right field bringing around two Valiant baserunners for an eight-run margin, 9-1.
Jake Warnock (Eastchester, N.Y./Eastchester) would get his first taste of game action as a Valiant in the bottom sixth, but the Raptors got after him allowing three hits and allowing a couple baserunners, giving Bard four runs in the inning.
Dylan Roberts (Warwick, R.I./Pilgrim) would drive in another run in the next time around, flying out to right field on a sacrifice fly to plate the runner at third, putting the final score at 10-5.
Warnock pitched four innings in relief, settling in after his first inning and striking out eleven batters, allowing only four hits.
Up Next
The Valiants load the buses to Myrtle Beach for The Ripken Experience, with first pitch in one week against Rivier in a doubleheader.
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