Manhattan University Athletics

Game 1: Box Score (HTML) | Box Score (PDF)
Game 2: Box Score (HTML) | Box Score (PDF)

NEWARK, N.J. - Fueled by a powerful offense and stellar pitching, Manhattan swept a doubleheader from NJIT by scores of 2-1 and 11-1 at Riverfront Stadium.

Sunday's sweep also secured a series split for the teams with the Jaspers improving to 17-32 and the Highlanders falling to 22-21-1.

Manhattan hit .328 as a team while limiting NJIT to a .164 average, pitching to a miniscule 0.56 ERA and posting a 13-2 run differential.

Game 1
Sophomore LHP Joe Jacques (Shrewsbury, N.J. / Red Bank Regional) and classmate RHP Matt Simonetti (Manalapan, N.J. / Manalapan) combined to limit NJIT to just two hits in leading Manhattan to a 2-1 victory in the opener.

Jacques retired the first seven batters he faced and didn't allow a hit until the fourth inning in putting the clamps on an offense that scored 16 runs on 32 hits in Saturday's twinbill.

Manhattan got to work quickly on offense and after threating in the top of the first, broke through with a pair of runs in the top of the second.  Senior Vin Teixeira (Hamden, Conn. / Hamden Hall Country Day) notched the first of his doubles in the game with one out before quickly scoring on classmate Mikey Miranda's (Miami, Fla. / Florida Christian) run-scoring single to right field. After freshman Michael Pfenninger (Flemington, N.J. / Hunterdon Central) followed with a walk, Miranda scored on a fielding error in staking the Jaspers to a 2-0 lead.

Highlander starting pitcher John Malatesta then settled down and yielded just three hits the rest of the way while for all intents and purposes keeping the Manhattan offense at bay.

NJIT put up its only run of the game in the fifth inning as Cody Kramer scored on Matt McKinnon's RBI single. Jacques however evaded further damage by stranding McKinnon at second while keeping the Jasper advantage at 2-1.

Simonetti then replaced Jacques and retired all six batters he faced in notching his fourth save of the season with 2.0 perfect frames.

Jacques (3-2) earned the win, yielding just an unearned run on two hits over 5.0 innings with two strikeouts.

Teixeira went 2-for-3 with two doubles and a run to lead a six-hit attack.

Malatesta (5-4) was the pitcher of the record for Highlanders, allowing two runs, one earned, in a complete game 7.0-inning effort.

Game Two
After being limited to just six runs over the first three games, the Manhattan offense erupted for 11 runs on 14 hits in posting a dominating 11-1 win over NJIT while securing a doubleheader.

Sophomore RHP Joey Rocchietti (Green Brook, N.J. / Watchung Hills) was a force on the mound, allowing three hits over 5.0 scoreless innings in improving to 2-6 on the season.

For the second-straight game, the Jaspers plated a pair of runs in the top of the second.  Junior Christian Santisteban (Miami, Fla. / Gulliver Prep) and senior Joe McClennan (Highland Mills, N.Y. / Cornwall Central) each singled to lead off the frame. Santisteban came around to score the first run of the game on a Teixeira ground out before sophomore Chris Reynolds (Wall, N.J. / St. Rose) plated McClennan with a single through the left side.

Manhattan extended the lead out to 5-0 in the top of the third with three more runs while knocking Jim Fasano from the game. Pfenninger led off with a single before scoring on classmate Brendan Bisset's (New City, N.Y. / Don Bosco Prep (N.J.)) run-scoring double. Sophomore Jason Patnick (Hopewell, N.J. / IMG Academy (Fla.)) then drew a walk. Bisset and Patnick then moved to second-and-third on a wild pitch before the duo scored on McClennan's two-run through the middle.

In the top of the fourth, the Jaspers for all intents and purposes put the game on ice with three runs, fueled by three-straight two-out singles.

Meanwhile, on the mound Rocchietti was in complete control. He retired the first seven hitters he faced and scattered just three hits over 5.0 dominating frames.

Manhattan would add three more runs while the quartet of freshman RHP Charles Lippolis (Valhalla, N.Y. / Fordham Prep), classmate RHP James D'Angelo (Scotch Plains, N.J. / Scotch Plains-Fanwood), junior LHP Casey Meyers (Brookside, N.J. / Mendham) and senior RHP Shawn Kanwisher (Washington Township, N.J. / St. Joseph's Regional) combined to limit NJIT to just one run over the final 4.0 innings in closing out the victory.

All nine regulars reached base safely for the Jaspers with eight hitting safely. McClennan went 3-for-4 with a double, two runs and two RBI while Bisset was 3-for-6 with a double, two runs and a RBI to lead the way.

Fasano (2-2) was saddled with the loss, allowing two runs on five hits over 2.2 innings. Rex MacMillan went 2-for-4 with a RBI to pace the Highlander offense.

Manhattan returns to action with a single game at Iona on Thursday, May 14 with first pitch slated for 3 p.m.