Manhattan Rolls to Sweep of Marist - Manhattan University Athletics

RIVERDALE, N.Y. ? The Manhattan baseball team completed a three game series sweep of Marist (14-12, 5-4 MAAC) with back-to-back victories over the Red Foxes on Sunday at Van Cortlandt Park. Freshman starter Mike Giordano pitched the Jaspers to a 5-3 win in game one, while the Manhattan high powered offense delivered 10 runs in the seventh inning of game two which propelled the squad to a 12-5 triumph. The victories extend Manhattan's (15-9, 8-1 MAAC) consecutive game winning streak over Marist to 10, which dates back to 2007.

“We never quit. Our guys never give up, and that is what's best about them,” stated fourth year Manhattan head coach Kevin Leighton. “This was a big series for us, especially to beat a team like Marist, who I think is a playoff caliber ball club.”

In game one, the Jaspers broke a 3-3 tie in the bottom of the fifth inning when sophomore Chad Salem drove in classmate Mark Onorati with an infield grounder for what proved to be the game winning run. Giordano pitched six strong innings and rang up five strikeouts as he earned his fourth consecutive victory. Junior reliever Tom Moran closed the deal by recording the final three outs of the contest for his third save of the season.

Jamie Fitzgerald, a junior college transfer from Ottawa, hit the first home run of his collegiate career at Manhattan in the bottom of the second which put the Jaspers on top 2-0. Senior infielder Ruben Perez scored after beginning the inning with a lead off double.

Fitzgerald registered four RBI and scored three runs in the doubleheader.

Marist evened the score at 2-2 in the top of the third beginning with a RBI single off the bat of left fielder Brian McDonough, and then another RBI single from designated hitter George Agostini with two out and a full count.

Armenio led off the fourth inning with a solo home run to give Manhattan a single run edge, but the Red Foxes evened the score in the top of the fifth on Ricky Pacione's RBI single.

Onorati opened the decisive bottom of the fifth with a single, marking his third hit of the ball game. Jasper outfielder Mike McCann helped move Onorati to third with a single to right center, and then Salem pushed him across the plate for the go ahead run.

Giordano capped his brilliant performance on the hill and preserved the lead by striking out the side in the sixth. Austin Sheffield then scored an insurance run in the bottom half of the inning, before the Jaspers handed the ball to Moran to secure the win.

In game two, Manhattan erased a five run deficit to earn the comeback victory. Jaspers freshman reliever Matt Jordan pitched five and two third dominant innings, allowing just two hits and yielded only two walks to pick up his third win of the season.

Junior center fielder Kevin Nieto set the stage for the rally in the fourth inning when he plunked the left field scoreboard with a solo home run. It was his team leading eighth blast of the season and pulled Manhattan within 5-1.

The Jaspers hit through the line up in the seventh inning, scoring 10 runs during the surge. Fitzgerald knocked in Perez with a single into center field which put Manhattan's second run on the board, and then two walks and two pitching changes later McCann contributed a RBI single to cut the deficit to 5-3.

Pacione kept the inning alive for the Jaspers when he misplayed a force out at second on a potential routine double play ball hit by Nieto. The fielding error allowed freshman Will DeRuve to score, and it set the stage for Salem's sacrifice fly which tied the game at 5-5. Armenio then cleared the bases with a three-run, 400-foot bomb over the right field fence. Fitzgerald added a RBI single and DeRuve capped the scoring jamboree with a RBI double to give the Manhattan an 11-5 advantage.

McCann hit the Jaspers fifth home run of the day in the eighth inning adding one more run to the grand run total. It was his sixth of the season. McCann has recorded a hit in the Jaspers last 17 contests.

Manhattan returns to action on Tuesday versus Long Island. Game time is slated for 3:30 p.m. at Van Cortlandt Park.