Box Score
TRENTON, N.J. ? The Manhattan College baseball team's memorable 2009 season came to an end at the MAAC Championships as the top-seeded Jaspers fell to #2 Canisius (35-21), 3-2, in the elimination round on Friday night at Waterfront Park in Trenton, N.J. Manhattan (35-18), the MAAC Regular-Season Champions, finished the campaign with a program record 35 wins.
Canisius used a game winning RBI single from center fielder Branson Joseph in the fifth inning to escape with the victory. Golden Griffins starting pitcher Shane Davis threw a complete game for his ninth triumph of the season. The left-hander struck out five and yielded just five walks.
The drained Jaspers, who suffered an emotional 11 inning loss to #3 Marist (30-25) in their first game on Day Two of the Tournament, could not generate offensive momentum in the night cap. Manhattan's combined pitching effort from starter Matt Jordan and reliever Tom Moran kept the squad within striking distance the entire contest.
Jordan threw five strong innings against the dangerous Canisius batting line up and struck out five. He turned the ball over to Moran in the sixth inning as he also turned in a heroic performance. The right-hander from Farmington, Conn. allowed just one hit over the final four scoreless innings.
Canisius received a solo home run from second baseman Kevin Mallioux in the first inning and another one from right fielder Shayne Willson in the second to take a 2-0 edge. It marked Mallioux's 17th and Willson's 10th of the year.
Manhattan tied the ballgame in the bottom of the third courtesy of a RBI double from Mark Onorati and a sacrifice fly from Mike McCann to lock it at 2-2. McCann finished the season with a program record 85 hits, to go along with 59 RBI. Onorati knocked in 54 runs and had 16 doubles in 2009.
Senior second baseman Ruben Perez, junior outfielder Kevin Nieto and third baseman Chad Salem join McCann and Onorati with batting averages above .350 this season. Nieto led the Jaspers batting .396 and a program record 72 runs.
The Jaspers graduate seniors Ryan Masters, Mark Russell and Perez who finish their careers as the winningest class in program history. The trio leaves the program with 134 wins, the 2006 MAAC Championship, two MAAC Regular-Season titles (2008 & 2009), and most notably they helped guide the Jaspers to the 2006 NCAA Regional Finals.
