Box Score
Box Score
LAWRENCEVILLE, N.J. - Evan Brown drove in Yoandry Galan with two outs in the top of the 15th inning to plate the go-ahead run, giving the Jaspers a 9-8 victory over Rider in the teams' series finale on Sunday afternoon.
Sean Abbate pitched 2 2/3 hitless innings of relief for his third win of the season. It gave the Jaspers the series victory, improving Manhattan's conference record to 6-12.
The Jaspers jumped out to a 7-0 lead after the first two and a half innings. Manhattan batted around in the top of the first, taking advantage of three walks and an error to score four times. The Jaspers got an RBI single from Christian Santisteban and a bases-loaded walk by Jason Patnick to score their first two runs. Two more scored on an error by Rider third baseman Nick Richter, giving the Jaspers a 4-0 lead before Rider came to bat.
Rider got a run back in the bottom of the third but Jasper starter William Fabra stranded runners on second and third to keep it a 7-1 contest. Fabra retired eight straight batters until Mike Parsons began the sixth inning with a double. Justin Thomas followed with an RBI single, kickstarting a three-run sixth for the Broncs, getting them within three runs at 7-4. Fabra again left runners in scoring position, ending his outing by striking out Brian Donnelly to finish the sixth.
The Broncs' comeback continued in the seventh. With two runs already in, Rider had runners at second and third, looking to tie or take the lead. Casey Meyers was summoned from the Jaspers' bullpen and struck out the first two batters he faced before retiring pinch-hitter Giovanni Gussen on a fly ball to end the inning, helping the Jaspers maintain a 7-6 lead.
Rider did tie the game in the eighth, but another Manhattan reliever - this time, it was Maxx Feldman - stranded a runner at third base to end the frame and keep the game tied.
As the game moved to extra innings, Manhattan started the 10th inning on a leadoff double by Mikey Miranda. Miranda moved to third on a passed ball and two batters later, scored on a sacrifice fly by Evan Brown, giving the Jaspers an 8-7 edge.
In the bottom of the 10th, Richter singled with one out. He stole second base and advanced to third on a groundout. Thomas then delivered a game-tying single to plate Richter as the game moved to the 11th inning.
Abbate came on in relief in the bottom of the 13th with runners at first and second and one out. Abbate induced two straight comebackers to the mound to work around the base runners and keep the game going.
After the 10th inning, neither team had a base hit until there were two outs in the Jaspers' half of the 15th. Yoandry Galan lined a single to center field and alertly moved to second base on a wild pitch. Brown then drove a pitch the other way into left field to plate Galan, giving Manhattan a 9-8 lead.
Parsons drew a leadoff walk to start Rider's half of the 15th inning but Abbate promptly erased him on a 4-4-3 double play started by Galan. Abbate got the final out on a ground ball to McClennan at third to end the game.
Brown was 3-for-5 with three RBI from the leadoff spot. Santisteban also had three hits in the game in four at-bats. Brendan Slattery was 2-for-5 with an RBI. Chris Liquori and Abbate combined for five scoreless innings of relief to shut down the Rider offense after the 10th inning.
Manhattan returns to action on Wednesday, April 30 at Fordham at 7 p.m in the second game between the two schools this season. The Jaspers defeated the Rams 6-2 earlier this month at Van Cortlandt Park.
NOTES:
The two teams played an 11-inning game in the first game of the series ... the Jaspers won that one, 3-2 ... Manhattan is 3-1 in extra-inning games this season ... the 15-inning game was Manhattan's longest game since the Jaspers and Broncs went 14 innings on May 10, 2003, a 2-1 Rider victory at Van Cortlandt Park.
