Box Score - Game One
Box Score - Game Two
RIVERDALE, N.Y. - The Manhattan baseball team kept its undefeated MAAC mark intact with a doubleheader sweep at Niagara (6-37, 3-17 MAAC) on Saturday at Sal Maglie Stadium in Western New York. Manhattan rallied for a 9-7 win in game one and 4-0 victory in game two to improve to 26-15 overall and a perfect 16-0 in league play.
In game one, Jaspers' sophomore starting pitcher John Soldinger won his sixth consecutive start and posted three strikeouts in the 9-7 victory. Soldinger worked through seven innings and improved his record to 8-1 on the season. Sophomore sluggers Nick Camastro and Kyle Murphy drove in five of Manhattan's nine runs.
Manhattan's offense poured it on the Purple Eagles in the second inning as the Jaspers hit through the batting order and manufactured five runs on four hits. Murphy put Manhattan on the scoreboard with a RBI single to right field, which allowed senior Austin Sheffield to cross home plate after he singled to lead off the inning. Then Camastro capitalized later in the frame with a two-out bases clearing double to add three runs to Manhattan's tally. Jaspers' senior third baseman Chad Salem finished off the second inning with his 16th double of the year which was good for another run as Manhattan stormed out to a 5-0 advantage.
Purple Eagles' junior catcher Jesse Harris led off the second inning with a solo home run. In the fourth inning Niagara senior third baseman Brian Deering delivered a RBI double to bring the Purple Eagles within 5-2.
Manhattan responded with two more runs in the fifth inning. Murphy generated a bases loaded walk for the first run and sophomore Anthony Vega was hit by a pitch in the next at-bat to force home the second run.
Niagara scored two more runs off of Soldinger in the sixth and the seventh inning before Manhattan turned to its bullpen. Lucas Signor had the RBI single in the sixth and Harris knocked in his second run of the game in the seventh with a single to left field to make it a 7-4 ballgame.
The Jaspers tacked on two more insurance runs in the top of the ninth inning that proved to be essential. Salem scored on a fielding error after recording his second hit of the game and Sheffield came across home plate on a fielding error to extend Manhattan's lead to 9-4.
Niagara worked three runs on the scoreboard in the ninth inning with only one earned run going on Jaspers' freshman reliever Jared Hirschberg's line. Hirschberg pitched a scoreless eighth inning and recorded the first out of the ninth before handing the ball to classmate Jacob Marchus who closed the door on the Purple Eagles. Marchus struck out Signor for the final out to close his eighth game of the year in a non-save situation.
Game two was a pitchers duel with Jaspers' sophomore Eric Luksis winning the battle. Luksis recorded six strikeouts and allowed only four hits as he won his fifth straight conference start in the complete game shutout.
Purple Eagles' starting pitcher Kody Kasper was strong through five innings, but he ran into trouble in the sixth inning. The Jaspers loaded the bases with a singles from Sheffield and Ramon Ortega, along with a walk to Murphy. With one out, Niagara called to its bullpen for sophomore Matt Meyer. Vega capitalized on Meyer immediately by rocking a two-RBI single to break up the scoreless tie. Murphy added the third run of the inning by coming in from third on a wild pitch.
Ortega led the Manhattan offense in the contest going 2-for-3 from the plate in the seven inning affair.
Manhattan went ahead 4-0 in the seventh inning to ensure the victory when Mark Onorati (Williston Park, N.Y./Herricks) scored his second run of the day on a fielding error.
Manhattan and Niagara return to action on Sunday for the third game of the series. First pitch is slated for 12 p.m.
