Box Score 1 |
Box Score 2 RIVERDALE, N.Y. - Manhattan rallied from a 4-0 deficit to tie Siena 4-4, but the Saints pushed across three runs in the top of the 10th inning to capture a 7-4 victory from the Jaspers in the first game of Saturday's doubleheader.
In game two, Sean Abbate threw 4 2/3 scoreless innings of relief after Maxx Feldman had to leave the game after being hit in the leg by a line drive. That helped two early Manhattan runs stand up in a 2-1 Jasper victory in the nightcap.
Game 1 Recap | Box Score
Siena got off to a quick start, putting up two runs in the second and third innings to take a 4-0 lead in the top of the third. Manhattan rallied in its half of the third, getting to within a run at 4-3.
With one out, Christian Santisteban was hit by a pitch and Brendan Slattery stroked a single to left field. Joe McClennan stepped up to rip a run-scoring double into the left field corner to score Santisteban and get the Jaspers on the board. Jason Patnick followed by chopping a single into left field, scoring Slattery with the second run of the inning. That base hit put runners on the corners for Mikey Miranda.
On the first pitch, Miranda laid down a perfect squeeze bunt and beat the throw to first base. It was the fourth straight base hit for Manhattan in the inning and cut the deficit to 4-3 after three innings.
Joe Jacques came on in relief of Joey Rocchietti to start the fourth inning. Despite allowing six bases on balls, Jacques threw five scoreless innings to keep Manhattan in the game. The Jaspers ultimately tied the game 4-4 in the fifth when Yoandry Galan took a pitch off his leg with the bases loaded to bring home the tying run. Manhattan nearly went ahead during the next at-bat when a pitch skipped past Siena catcher Dave Hoffman but Hoffman pounced on the carom off the backstop and fired to pitcher Matt Gage covering home plate to throw out a sliding Jason Patnick at home.
In the ninth, Santisteban led off with a double but Siena threw him out at third base on an ensuing sacrifice attempt. Manhattan still loaded the bases after McClennan was hit by a pitch and Miranda walked but Siena reliever Matt Quintana retired Galan on a fly ball to get out of the jam with the game still tied at 4-4.
To start the 10th inning, Siena's first three batters reached against Manhattan reliever Casey Meyers. Michael Martin came on in relief and get an infield popup for the first out. With the Jasper defense at double play depth, Martin retired the next batter on a slow roller to the right side that scored a run. With two outs, a Siena ground ball skipped past the infield for a two-base error, bringing home two more to give the Saints a 7-4 edge.
Despite a leadoff single by Evan Brown to start the Manhattan half of the 10th, Quintana was able to shut the door and hand the Saints the game one win.
Santisteban (2-for-5, run), Slattery (2-for-4, two runs) and Miranda (2-for-3, RBI) each had multiple-hit games for Manhattan in the opener.
Game 2 Recap | Box Score
Siena scored a run in its first at-bat. Vincent Citro led off with a bunt single and Mike Allen followed with a single of his own. After the runners moved up on a sacrifice bunt by Justin Esquerra, John Rooney's sacrifice fly brought home Citro with the first run of the contest.
Christian Santisteban cracked his second double of the day to start the second inning. He eventually scored with two outs when Esquerra was unable to handle Chris Reynolds' ground ball in the hole on the left side. It allowed the Jaspers to tie the game 1-1 after two.
In the top of the third inning, Citro hit a line drive back up the middle that drilled Jasper starter Maxx Feldman in the leg and kicked to Joe McClennan charging in at third base. McClennan made a fantastic play to throw out Citro at first base for the first out. Unfortunately Feldman had to come out of the game, allowing Sean Abbate to pitch in relief.
Abbate deftly handled the unexpected assignment, tossing 4 2/3 scoreless frames to gain his fourth win of the season. He struck out three, did not walk anyone and allowed just three base hits.
"He picked his team up," head coach Jim Duffy said of Abbate after the game. "We really needed that."
Slattery went 2-for-3 and drove in the eventual game-winning run in the bottom of the third, scoring Jose Carrera, who singled with two outs in the inning.
"Game one was a disappointing loss," Duffy said after the doubleheader. "For them to be able to bounce back and come out on top in game two was really important for us. It shows the fight on the team."
The Jaspers improved to 7-13 in the Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference with the win and will look to capture its second straight conference series when they host the first-place Saints, who are 13-4 in the MAAC, on Sunday, May 4 at noon.
NOTES:
Saturday was Senior Day on the final weekend at Van Cortlandt Park ... Manhattan College's graduating seniors - Yoandry Galan, Andrew Gorecki, Brendan Slattery and Mike Vocatura - were honored prior to the first game ... ten batters were hit by a pitch in the first game ... nobody was hit by a pitch in game two ... game one was Manhattan's third extra-inning game in its last four games ... the first game lasted three hours and 16 minutes, while game two was played in an hour and 44 minutes ... Nick Girardi struck out two in an inning of work in game one ... Chris Kalousdian stole his 17th base of the season in the opener ... Christian Santisteban doubled in each end of the doubleheader and now has 15 on the season.
