Box Score
BRONX, N.Y. – Meeting for the second time this season, baseball's 2013 version of the “Battle of the Bronx” became a series split as Manhattan dropped an 18-12 decision at Fordham on Tuesday afternoon. The Rams (16-30) were able to avenge a 5-4 defeat at the hands of Jaspers (19-24) back on April 3 at Gaelic Park.
Fordham struck for nine runs in the bottom of the first inning, seven of Jasper starter Casey Meyers and were forced to hold on to that lead as Manhattan fought valiantly to overcome the early deficit. The inning began rather routinely for Meyers, retiring two of the first three batters he faced. With a runner on third however he would hit Charles Galiano before walking David Judisky to load the bases.
Brendan Maghini then cleared the bases with a three-run double to left center to open the scoring. He would be followed by a Sam Careccia RBI single, making it 4-0 Rams before back-to-back walks again loaded the bases with two outs. Tyler Mulvaney was brought on in relief for Manhattan and promptly gave up a single to Mike Mauri that drove in two more runs. After a single from Ian Edminston brought in another Rams runner, Joe McClennan committed a throwing error, allowing another run to come home. Galiano would then single in his second plate appearance of the inning to score Edminston before Galiano grounded out to end the frame.
The Jaspers would not go quietly to their longtime rival, however. After Yoandry Galan grounded out to begin the top of the third, they loaded the bases with only one out. Kyle Murphy would help break the shutout with an RBI hit by pitch before Christian Santisteban hit a sacrifice fly to center, making it 9-2 Fordham. Manhattan inched a bit closer when McClennan made up for his error with a three run homerun to left off Rams starter J.C. Porter. Two batters later, Matt Troisi singled home Chris Reynolds to cut the deficit to three.
Fordham did add one run to their advantage in the home half of the inning when Chris Liquori walked Galiano with the bases juiced and nobody out. The freshman would recover though and get Judisky to foul out to third before inducing a double play ball to get out of the jam. Both Liquori and Rams reliever Cody Johnson would settle down the opposing offenses through the middle stages of the game. That was until the bottom of the fifth when Fordham again padded their lead.
With two on and two out, Liquori plunked Maghini to load the bases prior to Careccia's two run single to center that upped the score to 12-5. After walking Ryan McNally to load the bases again, Liquori was pulled in favor of classmate Yony Fernandez. A wild pitch did allow one run to score before the rookie induced a fly out to end the inning.
Manhattan began yet another attempt at a comeback the next half inning as Joe Rock tripled to left center with one out. Nick Camastro would bring him in with a sacrifice fly to left but that would be all the Jaspers could muster, stranding two runners.
The Rams took advantage of the missed opportunity, scoring three more times in the bottom of the inning. A throwing error from Fernandez allowed Mauri to score from third before an RBI groundout from Judisky put a runner on second with two outs. Maghini then singled up the middle for one of his game high four RBI's to make the score 16-7 heading into the seventh.
It would be that top of the seventh when the Jasper bats once again made things interesting. Ryan DeMartino entered to begin the frame for Fordham but struggled getting just one out. After hitting McClennan to lead things off, he then walked Reynolds before getting pinch hitter Vin Teixeira to fly out to left. Both Galan and Rock would get hit by pitches, first loading the bases and then driving in a run. Camastro followed with another hit by pitch, cutting the deficit to 16-9 with only one out.
Andrew Gorecki then hit a sacrifice fly to right, plating Galan and chasing DeMartino. Murphy would single off newly inserted pitcher Ryan Fedak to plate Rock and make it a 16-11 ballgame. Manhattan added another run in the eighth when Rock singled through the right side to score Reynolds for his second RBI of the contest.
Trailing by four and looking for a shutdown inning, the Jaspers again turned to their bullpen bringing in righty Sean Abbate after Fernandez walked the leadoff batter in the eighth. Abbate would give up consecutive singles, allowing a run to score, before finally retiring Ryan Carroll for the first out of the inning. With runners on second and third, Careccia singled deep in the hole behind second, plating another Fordham run.
He would then retire the next two batters he faced but the Jaspers couldn't mount another rally in the ninth, going in order in the top of the ninth.
Meyers (0-2) was charged with loss, giving up seven runs on just two hits in two-thirds of an inning. He allowed four walks and hit one batter as well. Meanwhile, Johnson (3-2) got the win for the Rams giving up just one run in his three innings of relief. Both Careccia and Maghini had four RBI days for Fordham while the Jaspers were led offensively by McClennan's three RBI effort.
The Jaspers are back in action on Sat., May 4, when they host Lafayette as part of a non-conference three-game series. The weekend set begins with a doubleheader at Van Cortlandt Park starting at 1 p.m. before concluding with one game in Easton, Pa. on Sunday.
