Box Score 1 |
Box Score 2 Game One: Box Score (HTML) | Box Score (PDF)
Game Two: Box Score (HTML) | Box Score (PDF)
Bronx, NY - Manhattan swept a doubleheader from Niagara by scores of 4-2 and 6-5 in clinching a MAAC series victory at Houlihan Park on the campus of Fordham University.
Junior Fabian Pena (Miami, FL / Calusa Prep) went 4-for-8 in today's games while senior RHP Shawn Kanwisher (Washington Township, NJ / St. Joseph Regional) earned the save in both victories as the Jaspers improve to 5-13 and 2-1 in the MAAC while the Purple Eagles fall to 10-9 and 1-2 in the league.
Game One
Junior Tom Cosgrove (Staten Island, NY / Farrell) struck out 11 over six strong innings of work in leading Manhattan to a 4-2 win over Niagara in game one.
Cosgrove fanned at least one in every inning, including striking out the side in the sixth to close out his big performance in clinching the Jaspers' first MAAC victory of the year.
Manhattan opened the scoring in the bottom of the first as the Jaspers loaded up the bases with one out before senior Jason Patnick (Hopewell, NJ / Hopewell Valley) delivered a two-run single through the right side in plating sophomore Fabian Pena (Miami, FL / Calusa Prep) and senior Evan Brown (Asburnham, MA / Bridgton Academy (ME).
The Purple Eagles answered with a run in the top of the second on a Geoff Seto RBI single down the third base line.
Manhattan added to the lead with a pair of runs in the fourth while chasing Daniel Procopio from the game. Senior Matt Forlow (Cold Spring, NY / Haldane) and sophomore Richie Barrella (Larchmont, NY / Canterbury Prep) each walked to lead off the frame. After the pair advanced to second-and-third on the second wild pitch of the inning freshman Anthony Rocchietti (Green Brook, NJ / Watchung Hills) greeted reliever Alex MacKinnon with a RBI single to plate Forlow while pushing Barrella to third. Junior Brendan Bisset (New City, NY / Don Bosco Prep (NJ) followed with a safety squeeze to score Barrella while extending the lead out to 4-1.
In the top of the fifth, Niagara got one back when Joel Brophy scored on a passed ball. However, the damage could have been worse but Cosgrove used a pair of strikeouts to strand two on the bases.
Cosgrove then struck out the side in sixth and Kanwisher closed out his second save with a pair of strikeouts in firing a scoreless seventh inning.
The hard-throwing Cosgrove improved to 1-2, allowing two runs, one earned, on six hits and four walks to go along with his aforementioned 11 strikeouts.
Eight of the nine Jasper regulars reached base safely thanks to drawing five walks.
Tanner Kirwer went 3-for-3 to pace a seven-hit Purple Eagle attack as Daniel Procopio (2-2) was saddled with the loss, yielding four runs with five strikeouts over 3.0 innings of two-hit ball.
Game Two
Manhattan scored two runs in the bottom of the eighth to post a 6-5 come-from-behind victory while completing the doubleheader sweep against Niagara.
Trailing 5-4 after Julian Gallup's run-scoring double in the top of the eighth, the Jaspers immediately responded in the bottom part of the frame. Pena led off with a double before coming around to score on a Brown RBI double down the right field line. Junior Michael Pfenninger (Flemington, NJ / Hunterdon Central) then moved Brown to third with a sacrifice bunt while setting up a Patnick sacrifice fly that gave the Japsers what would prove to be an insurmountable 6-5 advantage.
In the top of the ninth, Brown made a diving catch on a Greg Cullen line drive before Kanwisher got the final two batters to close out his second save of the day and the third of the year.
Senior RHP Matt Simonetti (Manalapan, NJ / Manalapan) earned the win, allowing one run on two hits over 2.0 innings of work.
Pena went 3-for-4 with a double and two runs to pace a nine-hit Manhattan attack. Brown added two hits and two runs while freshman Dominic Palma (Hilton, NY / Hilton) had two hits and two RBI to round out the multi-hit performers.
The Jaspers opened the scoring with two runs in the bottom of the first as Palma delivered a two-out, two-run single in plating Pena and Brown.
The Purple Eagles responded with three runs in the third before Manhattan answered with two in the fourth. Patnick led off with a double on a two-strike offering before coming in to score on a Forlow double. After moving to third on a ground out, Forlow would come around to score on a wild pitch.
Niagara would rally for single scores in the sixth and eighth innings in retaking the lead while setting the stage for a thrilling finish.
The Purple Eagles rapped out 13 hits in the game but left nine on the bases and were led by Owen Dziados, who went 3-for-4 with a run and a RBI. Matthew Brash was also solid in picking up a no-decision, yielding four runs on seven hits with seven strikeouts over 6.0 innings.
Manhattan will next be in action at Hofstra on Tuesday, March 28 with first pitch tabbed for 3:30 pm.
