JERSEY CITY, N.J. – The Manhattanville University baseball team returned back north from Myrtle Beach on Saturday, sweeping a doubleheader at New Jersey City University. The Valiants improve to 6-3 on the year with the pair of wins heading into tomorrow's home opener.

Game One Recap: Manhattanville 4, NJCU 3
Some late timely hitting by the Valiant bats snatched victory out of the jaws of defeat in the opener as Manhattanville hung three runs in the ninth for complete the comeback and take Game One from the Gothic Knights.

Heading into the eighth down 3-0, Manhattanville finally solved Dom Yarson who had been causing fits for the Valiant batters through the first seven innings. After retiring the first 12 batters in order to open the game and allowing just one total hit over the first seven innings, Yarson looked nearly untouchable on Saturday morning. However, the junior proved to be human after all his third time through the lineup as Joseph McDonald (Coram, N.Y./Longwood), Marco Clara (Syosset, N.Y./Syosset) and Mike Ambrosecchia (Mahopac, N.Y./Mahopac) hit three-straight one-out singles to break up the shutout bid. While that would be all the damage Manhattanville would do in the frame, the Valiants fed off the momentum for an explosive ninth.

NJCU sent Yarson back to the mound in his bid for the complete game, quickly retiring the first two batters of the inning. Down to the final out, Joshua Gillison (Buchanan, N.Y./Hendrick Hudson) kicked off a rally with a single before giving way to Brian Brezosky (Garnerville, N.Y./North Rockland) on the basepaths as a pinch runner. Gregory Tashik (Midland Park, N.J./Midland Park Jr./Sr.) chased him home with a double before scoring on Jackson Branigan's (Yonkers, N.Y./Archbishop Stepinac) single a batter later to tied the game at 3-3. McDonald delivered the final blow with a double to score Branigan with the go-ahead run as Manhattanville pulled off the late inning magic.

Gregory Esposito (Katonah, N.Y./John Jay) came on to shut the door in the bottom of the ninth, getting a pair of infield popups before striking out Justin Moreno to pick up the save.

Ray White (Mohegan Lake, N.Y./Lakeland) got the start for the Valiants, going six innings deep. The senior held the Gothic Knights to three runs on five hits and a walk while striking out five. Max Krom (Southington, Conn./Southington) was the first arm out of the pen in relief and would earn the win with a pair of scoreless innings, allowing just one hit and a walk in the seventh and eighth innings with one punchout.

Both Branigan and McDonald finished the opener with two hits as the Valiants' leading performers at the plate.

Game Two Recap: Manhattanville 9, NJCU 6
After needing a few innings to get things going in the opener, offense was on full display to close out Saturday's action as the Valiants outslugged the Gothic Knights to complete the non-conference sweep.

Chris Goohs (Nesconset, N.Y./Smithtown H.S. East) put Manhattanville up in the second with a solo home run, his second deep fly of the season. The Valiants tacked on two more in the third as Gillison brought home Anthony Mezzaucella (New Rochelle, N.Y./New Rochelle) with a double before scoring himself two batters later following a balk.

NJCU chipped into Manhattanville's lead with two runs in the bottom half of the third to slice the Valiant advantage down to a lone run, but the visiting side responded in short order with a five-spot in the top of the fourth. The Valiants batted around, sending 10 to the plate and recording seven hits to blow the game open. McDonald led off with a single and advanced to third on a Brezosky double, with both runners scoring as Gabe Astrologo (Cortlandt Manor, N.Y./Kennedy Catholic Prep) cleared the bases with a double. He would score two batters later on a Mezzaucella sacrifice fly before Gillson and Tashik picked up RBI later in the inning to put the Valiants up 8-2.

Jersey City did not go away quietly, making it a game again following a four-run fifth inning. After surviving the surge, Aidan Tumbleson (Manalapan, N.J./Manalapan) was called on to pitch the final four innings and shut down the Gothic Knight bats. NJCU managed just two hits against the junior, who stuck out four en route to earning his first collegiate save.

While Ryan McCann (Medford, N.Y./Longwood) was uncharacteristically tagged for six runs in his five innings of work, the junior was able to limit the damage to improve to 3-0 on the year. McCann allowed nine hits and walked one while striking out four.

As Tumbleson silence NJCU offensively, Goohs delivered an insurance run in the top of the ninth with his second solo homer of the game. The third baseman went 3-for-5 with two RBI and two runs scored as his final ledger.

Up Next
The Valiants open up the home schedule tomorrow for a doubleheader against Saint Elizabeth starting at noon.

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