MYRTLE BEACH, S.C. – A four-run first inning and a complete game from
Ryan McCann (Medford, N.Y./Longwood) led the Manhattanville University baseball team to a split in the team's second day of action at The Ripken Experience on Sunday, taking a game in twinbill against Rhode Island College. The Valiants improve to 4-2 with the pair of decisions with two days remaining in their Spring Break trip.
Game One Recap: Manhattanville 6, Rhode Island 2
Despite a 9 a.m. first pitch, the Valiant bats showed no signs of early morning exhaustion as Manhattanville jumped all over Liam Dailey and some shaky fielding in the opening frame. A pair of errors allowed
Brian Brezosky (Garnerville, N.Y./North Rockland) and Gregroy Tashik to reach and prolong the inning. The Valiants capitalized with four-straight RBI singles off the bats of
Joshua Gillison (Buchanan, N.Y./Hendrick Hudson),
Joseph McDonald (Coram, N.Y./Longwood),
Mike Ambrosecchia (Mahopac, N.Y./Mahopac) and
Justin Encarnacion (Bronx, N.Y./Cardinal Hayes).
The four runs was plenty of support for McCann on the mound as the junior improved to 2-0 across his first two starts of the season. While only striking out one, McCann held the Anchormen in check , scattering six hits and two runs (one earned) over his seven innings of work. McCann retired the first 10 batters he faced in order to open up the day.
Manhattanville plated two more insurance runs in a four-hit third inning. After Tashik and
Chris Goohs (Nesconset, N.Y./Smithtown H.S. East) opened the frame with back-to-back singles, McDonald and Encarnacion each picked up their second RBI of the day with two more run-scoring base hits to extend Manhattanville's lead up to 6-0.
McCann would surrender his first base hit of the day in the fourth and would be tagged for an unearned run in the fifth. Rhode Island pushed one more across home plate in their final at-bats in the seventh on a Sean Gallagher single, but McCann got two final fly outs to right to retire the side and capture the win. After his breakout season last year, McCann has picked up right where he left off, posting a 1.50 ERA across his first two appearances of 2025.
McDonald went 3-for-3 in Sunday's opener, with Encarnacion finishing as the only other Valiant with a multihit game with his pair of singles.
Game Two Recap: Manhattanville 1, Rhode Island 11
The Valiants struck first again in Game Two, but a five-run first inning by the Anchormen gave Rhode Island all the momentum needed to earn the split.
Rhode Island once again did not do itself any favors defensively in the opening frame as an error allowed Tashik to reach alongside a CJ Arhcul single and Gillison hit by pitch to load the bases. McDonald continued his strong day at the plate by drawing a bases loaded walk to plate the opening run. The Valiants could not do any further damage as a strikeout and ground out got Stephen Sullivan out of the jam with just the lone unearned run allowed.
The Anchormen picked up their starter in the bottom half of the frame, tagging
Jake Warnock (Eastchester, N.Y./Eastchester) for five first inning runs. Ten Rhode Island batters came to the plate in the inning, drilling six base hits and a walk to do the opening damage.
Manhattanville was held quiet after the opening inning, hitting just five more singles over the remainder of the game.
Anthony Mezzaucella (New Rochelle, N.Y./New Rochelle) and Tashik both hit singles as part of the starting lineup, while
Evan Kaloski (Center Moriches, N.Y./Center Moriches),
Logan Alberto (East Patchogue, N.Y./Bellport Senior) and
Anthony Iazzetti (Tuxedo, N.Y./Don Bosco Prep) each collected their first collegiate base hits as pinch hitters.
Rhode Island continued to plate runs, scoring twice in the second, once in the third, and two final insurance runs in the fourth. Warnock only made it through the first two innings in the start, being charged for seven earned runs on eight hits and three walks.
Sam Saccomanno (Medford, N.J./Shawnee) was the first arm out of the pen, allowing three runs (two earned) in his two innings of relief on three hits and three walks while striking out one.
Sam Pines (South Windsor, Conn./South Windsor) tossed a scoreless fifth inning in his Valiant debut, striking out a pair while allowing just one hit, while
Aidan Tumbleson (Manalapan, N.J./Manalapan) threw the final inning on the mound, giving up a run in the sixth on three hits while punching out one.
Sullivan struck out seven in the win for Rhode Island, holding the Valiants to five hits over his five innings. Manhattanville did not fair much better against Garrett Bolwell who provided two shutout relief innings for the Anchormen while striking out three.
Up Next
The Valiants square off with Wittenberg for a single game on Monday morning at 10 a.m.
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