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Wappingers Falls, NY - Junior Brendan Bisset's (New City, NY / Don Bosco Prep) game-winning hit through the left side plated senior Jose Carrera (Miami, FL / St. Brendan) to lift Manhattan to a thrilling 5-4 walk-off victory over Siena.
With the victory, the Jaspers improve to 6-16 and 3-3 in the MAAC while the Saints fall to 9-13-1 and 2-1 in the league.
Lost in the shuffle of Sunday's heroics was the outstanding start by RHP Joey Rocchietti (Green Brook, NJ / Watchung Hills). The senior hurler struck out a career-high 10 over 7.0 innings while yielding two runs on just four hits in collecting a no-decision.
Rocchietti set the tone from the onset, striking out the side in the top of the first before the offense went to work in the bottom part of the frame. Senior Jason Patnick (Hopewell, NJ / Hopewell Valley) reached with a two-out single before being plated on sophomore Fabian Pena's (Miami, FL / Calusa Prep) run-scoring triple to left center.
After Rocchietti notched another perfect frame in the top of the second, Manhattan added to the lead with other run. Senior Matt Forlow (Cold Spring, NY / Haldane) led off with a single before moving to third on a successful hit-and-run off the bat of freshman Dominic Palma (Hilton, NY / Hilton). Forlow would later score on a Richie Barrella (So., Larchmont, NY / Canterbury Prep) RBI fielder's choice grounder.
Patnick and Pena were back at it again in the third in with some more two-out magic. Patnick crushed a double before Pena traded places with him with a run-scoring double in extending the lead out to 3-0.
Siena got one run back in the top of the fourth as Chris Davignon drew a bases loaded walk to force in Joe Drpich, who earlier doubled with one out.
Drpich again doubled in the sixth before coming in to score on a Phil Madonna sacrfice fly in trimming the deficit to 3-2.
In the top of the eighth, Drpich tied the game up with a run-scoring double that plated Dan Swain.
Manhattan immediately reclaimed the lead in the bottom part of the frame as Pena singled with two outs before later coming around to score on a wild pitch.
The Saints answered in the top of the ninth when Swain delivered a game-tying RBI single through the left side with two outs.
Freshman
Dominic Palma (Hilton, NY / Hilton) led off the bottom of the ninth with a single on the first pitch he saw before pinch-runner
Brandon Valls (Jr., Miami, FL / Dean CC) moved to second on a sacrifice bunt. Carrera then singled through the left side but Valls was thrown out at the plate. Bisset then came to the plate and facing a two-strike count, delivered the aforementioned game-winning hit.
Patnick went 3-for-4 with two runs and a double while Pena was also 3-for-4 with two RBI while falling a home run short of the cycle to pace the Jaspers. Thanks to his effort today, Patnick finished up the weekend with a .625 (5-for-8) average while adding three walks and a RBI.
Forlow and Palma each added multiple-hits for a Manhattan squad that saw eight different student-athletes combined for 14 hits. Additionally, the Jaspers went an impressive 9-for-14 (.643) with two outs, compared to just 1-for-9 (.111) for the opposition.
Drpich was 3-for-4 with three doubles, two runs and a RBI to highlight an eight-hit Siena attack.
Senior RHP
Shawn Kanwisher (Washington Township, NJ / St. Joseph Regional) earned his first win of the year with 2.0 innings of relief with Danny Hobbs yielding one run on three hits over an inning of work in assuming the loss.
Manhattan returns to action against Army West Point on Tuesday, April 4 with first pitch slated for 6:30 pm at Dutchess Stadium.
