Riverdale, N.Y. (April 17, 2007)- Manhattan ran its winning streak to 11 straight games with a 12-4, non-conference, win over Sacred Heart University this afternoon at Van Cortlandt Park. With the win, the Jaspers improve to 19-11, while the Pioneers fall to 13-17.
Sacred Heart got on the board first, scoring an unearned run in the top of the second to take a 1-0 lead.
The score remained 1-0 until the bottom of the fourth, when Manhattan took advantage of two Pioneer errors to plate eight runs. Nunzio Franzese started the scoring with an RBI double, scoring Mike Garcia. After an out, Kevin Nieto doubled to left center, driving in Ryan Masters and Franzese. Rene Ruiz worked a walk in the ensuing at bat, setting the table for Matt Rizzotti, who blasted a line shot over the right field wall for a three run home run, scoring Kevin Nieto and Ruiz ahead of him. After a Nick Derba walk, Garcia connected on a round tripper down the left field line to score Derba and make the score 8-1 in favor of the home team.
Sacred Heart tallied one run in the top of the fifth to cut the lead to 8-2, but Manhattan would add three runs in the bottom of the sixth. Derba doubled home Ruiz, before Garcia went deep for the second time to make the score 11-2.
The Pioneers scored twice in the top of the eighth, and Masters supplied an RBI single in the bottom of the frame, scoring Anthony Armenio, to provide the final margin.
Tom Costigan earned his fourth win of the season, working his scheduled four innings while allowing no earned runs and striking out three.
Manhattan gets back in action on Wednesday, April 18, hosting Fairleigh Dickinson University at 3:30 p.m. at Van Cortlandt Park.
