FITZPATRICK GOES DEEP THREE TIMES; CODY WINS RECORD EIGHTH IN BASEBALL'S TWIN BILL SPLIT AT RIDER

GAME 2 BOXSCORE

Lawrenceville, N.J. (May 6, 2006)- Chris Cody earned his Manhattan College single season record eighth win of the season as the Jaspers defeated MAAC leading Rider, 7-2, in the first of two games this afternoon, before the Broncs rallied for a 7-3 win in the second game to split the first two games of the three game MAAC series, played at Sonny Pitaro Field on the Rider campus.

A Matt Rizzotti doubled home Eric Nieto with two outs in the top of the first to give Manhattan an early, 1-0, lead, before Rider answered with two unearned runs in the bottom of the frame to take a 2-1 lead after one inning of play.

The score would remain 2-1 until the top of the fourth, when John Fitzpatrick followed Rizzotti's leadoff single with his sixth homer of the year to put the Jaspers ahead for good, 3-2.

Manhattan would score two more in the sixth, the first on a Fitzpatrick RBI double, again chasing home Rizzotti. Dom Lombardi would drive in Fitzpatrick with an RBI single two batters later to increase the Jaspers' lead to 5-2.

The Jaspers would add two insurance runs in the top of the ninth, as Fitzpatrick's second homer of the day brought home Rizzotti in front of his to provide the final margin.

Cody would settle down after the first inning, allowing just three runners to reach second base the rest of the way, scattering seven hits on the day without issuing a walk.

In the second game, Fitzpatrick's third homer of the afternoon, a solo shot in the top of the second, would provide Manhattan with an early, 1-0, lead for the second straight game.

Rider would respond in the second, taking advantage of four walks to score four runs on just one hit. The Broncs would plate a single run in the fourth before Manhattan would put together a rally in the fifth.

Nieto would plate Nunzio Franzese with an RBI sacrifice fly before Nick Derba belted a solo homer to make the score 5-3, but Rider would get both runs back in the bottom of the frame, helped by to Manhattan errors to produce the final score.

The two teams complete the three game series with a single, nine-inning game on Sunday, May 7, beginning at 12 noon.