Box Score 1 |
Box Score 2 Game One: Box Score (HTML) | Box Score (PDF)
Game Two: Box Score (HTML) | Box Score (PDF)
BRONX, N.Y. - Manhattan opened up Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference (MAAC) play with a doubleheader sweep of Fairfield at Houlihan Park.
The Jaspers scored 16 runs with seven stolen bases while pitching to a 2.25 ERA on the day in improving to 5-12 (2-0 MAAC) on the year as the Stags fall to 1-11 (0-2 MAAC).
Game One
Manhattan plated five runs in the fourth inning and never looked back en route to posting a decisive 9-5 win over Fairfield in the series opener.
After both teams went in order over the first two frames, junior
Vin Teixeira (Hamden, Conn. / Hamden Hall Country Day) led off the third with a double while setting the tone for the night before being stranded at third.
The Stags then broke through with a pair of runs on a Mac Crispino RBI double and an Alex Witkus sacrifice fly in the bottom part of the inning. However, the damage could have been worse though as senior
Mikey Miranda (
Miami, Fla. / Florida Christian) nailed a runner at second trying to steal while leaving a potential run 90 feet away.
In the top of the fourth the Jaspers immediately rallied with the aforementioned game-changing five-run frame while batting around.
Junior
Christian Santisteban (Miami, Fla. / Gulliver Prep) led off the frame with
this double before moving to third on this
Miranda single. Santisteban then trimmed the lead in half at 2-1 when he scored on
this wild pitch. Senior
Chris Kalousdian (Kings Park, N.Y. / Kings Park) followed with a walk while setting the stage for Teixeira, who drilled
this two-run double to score Miranda and Kalousdian. Later in the frame, sophomore
Jose Carrera (Miami, Fla. / St. Brendan) delivered a two-run single, plating Teixeira and senior
Joe McClennan (Highland Mills, N.Y. / Cornwall Central) while capping the scoring and giving Manhattan what would prove to be an insurmountable 5-2 advantage.
Fairfield got two of those runs back in the bottom of the fourth but and had the potential tying run thrown out at second by junior
Chris Reynolds (Wall, N.J. / St. Rose) trying to stretch a single into a double.
The Jaspers would add two insurance runs in the top of the sixth when Teixeira, who led off with a single, scored on a passed ball. Carrera then plated McClennan with a sacrifice fly.
Manhattan's lead would grow to 9-4 in the eighth as freshman
Michael Pfenninger (Flemington, N.J. / Hunterdon Central) drove in Teixeira with a RBI single before Carrera pushed home McClennan with a RBI ground out.
Rocchietti, who had received just three runs of support over his first four starts, improved to 1-3 on the year, allowing four runs on 10 hits over 6.2 innings of work. Sophomore RHP
Matt Simonetti (Manalapan, N.J. / Manalapan) stranded a pair of runners upon entering in the seventh en route to picking up his first save of the year with 2.1 innings of impressive relief.
Teixeira led a 10-hit Jasper attack, finishing up 3-for-3 with three runs, two doubles and two RBI. McClennan also scored three runs while going 2-for-3. Carrera recorded a career-high four RBI while Santisteban rounded out the multiple-hit performers for the visitors with two hits.
The Stags which rapped out 13 hits was led by Crispino, who went 3-for-5 with a double and two RBI.
Game Two
Senior RHP
Michael Scarinci (Pearl River, N.Y. / Pearl River) struck out three over 5.0 innings of four-hit ball to lead Manhattan to a 7-0 win over Fairfield in the second game at Houlihan Park.
Sophomore LHP
Joe Jacques (Shrewsbury, N.J. / Red Bank Catholic) completed the shutout with 2.0 innings of one-hit ball to complete the Jaspers' doubleheader sweep.
After both teams failed to produce a run over first two frames, the visitors struck first with a pair of runs in the top of the third.
Carrera led off with a double and Reynolds drew a walk before the pair executed a successful double steal. Santisteban followed with a two-run double down the left field line.
The Stags appeared poised to answer and loaded up the bases with two outs in the home half of the third. Unfazed, Scarinci induced an inning-ending ground out to keep Fairfield off the board.
Manhattan added to the lead the following inning when McClennan crushed a two-run shot to deep left field while extending the lead to 4-0.
The lead would grow to 6-0 as the Jaspers added two more runs in the fifth. Santisteban and Kalousdian each drew walks before Teixiera plated Santisteban with a run-scoring double down the lead field line. Kalousdian then crossed the plate one batter later on a well-placed
Jason Patnick (So., Hopewell, N.J. / Hopewell Valley Central) ground out.
Manhattan would conclude the scoring in the seventh as Kalousdian was plunked before stealing, advancing to third on a ground out and scoring on a Patnick sacrifice fly.
The Jaspers scored their seven runs on just five hits to go along with eight walks. Santisteban reached safely in all four trips to the plate with a single and three free passes while matching McClennan and Patnick with two RBI.
Scarinci (2-3) earned the win while LHP Tucker Panciera (0-2) was saddled with the loss, allowing three runs over 3.0 innings.
Manhattan will now go for the series sweep tomorrow following the conclusion of the Fordham-NYIT doubleheader that is slated to begin at 10 a.m.
