Box Score
Box Score
LAKEWOOD, N.J. - In a suspended game from Thursday evening, Manhattan and Monmouth played another six innings before the Hawks came away with an 8-7 victory in an elimination game of the 2014 MAAC Baseball Championships at FirstEnergy Park on Friday afternoon.
The game resumed in the 10th inning tied at 6-6 and remained that way until the 12th. In the top of that inning, Joe McClennan singled with two outs to score Brendan Slattery with the go-ahead run to make it a 7-6 contest.
In the bottom of the 12th, Jake Gronsky's doubled to the gap with runners on first and second and the Hawks trailing 7-6. The tying run scored but a perfect relay throw from Evan Brown to Yoandry Galan to Chris Reynolds blocking the plate prevented the winning run from scoring.
The game remained tied 7-7 until the Hawks put runners at first and second with one out in the bottom of the 15th inning. After a wild pitch, Kyle Perry chopped one to the left side that scored the winning run, allowing Monmouth to play on in the tournament.
On Thursday night, Joe Jacques pitched six terrific innings, allowing just one run on six hits to stifle the Monmouth offense. Monmouth starter Chris McKenna was just as good, limiting the Jaspers to one run on five hits through eight. The Hawks tied the game 1-1 in the sixth, then took control with a four-run seventh inning and tacked on a run in the eighth.
Trailing 6-1 in the ninth inning, Manhattan's Jason Patnick singled and Joe McClennan drew a walk against Monmouth reliever Stephen Frey, who entered the game with a 2.05 earned run average. The Jaspers ultimately loaded the bases with two outs for Evan Brown, who drew a walk on a 3-2 pitch to force home a run, making it a 6-2 game.
With heavy fog starting to roll in, Jose Carrera lofted a fly ball to shallow left field. Monmouth's left fielder and shortstop converged but neither fielder was able to make the play, allowing two runs to score. Carrera dashed to second base on the throw home, sliding in just ahead of the tag, representing the tying run.
With runners on second and third and two outs, Brendan Slattery stroked a single the other way into right field to score Brown and score Carrera with the tying run, sending the Jaspers' dugout in a fit of jubilation. Slattery ultimately made it to second base on the throw home. Manhattan's next batter, Christian Santisteban, stroked a single the other way into left field. Slattery rounded third and headed home but was thrown out at the plate attempting to score the go-ahead run.
In the bottom of the ninth, with the fog intensifying, Sean Abbate retired the first two batters before Monmouth loaded the bases with two outs. Abbate coolly got the final out on a called third strike, sending the game into extra innings and allowing the Jaspers to play another day.
"I'm just really proud of the team," head coach Jim Duffy said about his group after Friday's game. "These seniors should be extremely proud of their careers at Manhattan. The effort and grit and determination they showed - their careers almost came to an end four times during the past two weeks. We kept fighting, got our way into the tournament and that experience, not only for them, but for the younger guys is invaluable."
Brendan Slattery had four hits in seven at-bats in the game. Jose Carrera, Christian Santisteban and Jason Patnick each had two hits for the Jaspers. Steve Wilgus, Joe Bamford and Kyle Perry collected four base hits apiece for the Hawks.
"[The team] felt like they belonged here. Their energy was tremendous and they were determined. That's how we got here and that's how we were going to play if we were going to advance. Unfortunately we didn't advance but that last game was fitting. It was a grind-it-out type of game and that's the type of team we were this year."
NOTES:
The Jaspers have made the MAAC Baseball Championships in 11 of the last 12 years ... Manhattan played two 15-inning games this season ... the game lasted a total of five hours and ten minutes over 17 hours in a span of two days ... Shawn Kanwisher started the day on Friday and allowed one run in three innings of relief ... Manhattan's pitching staff only allowed seven home runs in 50 games this season ... Christian Santisteban finished the season with 17 doubles, the most since Mark Onorati had 21 in 2011 ... Jose Carrera's 26 stolen bases are the most by a Jasper since Anthony Vega had 32 steals in 2012.
