Box Score
RIVERDALE, N.Y. ? The Manhattan College baseball team made a valiant effort to rally back from a 10 run deficit, but eventually fell to local Atlantic 10 rival Fordham (15-27) 15-12 on Tuesday at Van Cortlandt Park. Junior centerfielder Kevin Nieto hit his 13th home run of the season and drove in five RBI, while Jasper teammate Anthony Armenio contributed his seventh home run of the year to the effort, a 3-run blast. The slugfest was by far Manhattan's (28-12) longest game of the season, lasting three hours and forty-three minutes.
The Rams erupted for 11 runs over the third, fourth and fifth innings to build a 12-2 advantage forcing the Jaspers to attempt a monumental comeback. Manhattan began its charge in the bottom of the fifth starting with Nieto's RBI double into the left field corner. Sophomore third baseman Chad Salem and Armenio finished off the three run inning, each knocking in one run to cut the deficit to seven.
Fordham answered with two runs in the top of the sixth on freshman Stephen McSherry's RBI triple, and then Danny Leach's sacrifice fly which got McSherry across the plate. Leach was efficient as the designated hitter, batting in the lead off spot and posting two RBI, scoring two runs and stealing two bases in the ballgame.
Facing a 14-5 disadvantage, Manhattan clawed its way back with a seven run scoring surge over the sixth, seventh and eighth innings, which gave the squad an opportunity to steal the win. In the bottom of the sixth, Nieto launched a three-run homer. Then in the seventh Will DeRuve drove in Ruben Perez, who reached base on a lead off double, and Mike McCann hit Austin Sheffield across the plate.
The Rams posted their 15th run on a solo home run in the seventh from senior catcher Angelo Ponte, his second homer of the game. Ponte anchored the Fordham's offensive production going 3-for-4 from the plate with four RBI and three runs.
Armenio brought the Jaspers within 15-12 after sending out a two-run homer with two outs in the eighth. Manhattan then quickly put two on base with a single from Perez and Jamie Fitzgerald's fourth walk of the game to bring the tying run to the plate. Senior shortstop Ryan Masters geared up for the pinch hitting opportunity, looking to match his three-RBI game winning double on Sunday against Canisius. Masters stepped into the batters box and launched the ball to the warning track in left field, but it fell just short of representing the game tying home run.
Junior reliever Tom Moran struck out two of his three outs in the ninth to keep the contest in limbo, but the Jaspers couldn't finish off the miracle comeback in the bottom of the ninth.
Manhattan starter Zac Goyer was given the loss, which snapped a three game win streak in his last appearances as a starter. Rams' senior right-hander Jake Rabinowitz pitched five innings, allowed five earned runs and picked up the victory.
The Jaspers resume non-conference action on Wednesday at Albany. First pitch is slated for 3:30 p.m.
