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DeLand, FL - Stetson rallied for a come-from-behind 6-5 Manhattan in the season opener for each team at Melching Field at Conrad Park.
The Jaspers jumped out to a 5-2 lead in the fifth thanks to a
Matt Forlow (GS, Cold Spring, NY / Haldane) grand slam but were unable to fend off a late-charging Hatter squad.
Graduate Student LHP
Joe Jacques (Shrewsbury, NJ / Red Bank Regional) was outstanding in his season debut, striking out nine while yielding just one earned run over 5.0 innings and not walking a batter.
Stetson opened the scoring with an unearned run in the bottom of the second when Jon Meola delivered a two-out RBI single up the middle.
Manhattan would immediately rally in the top of the third when junior
Fabian Pena (Miami, FL / Calusa Prep) crushed the first pitch he saw down the left-field line to plate classmate
Richie Barrella (Larchmont, NY / Canterbury Prep), who just beat the relay throw home.
The Hatters reclaimed its advantage in the bottom of the fourth when Austin Hale plated Jorge Arenas with a RBI single.
In the ensuing frame the the Jaspers, freshman
Will Trochiano (Morganville, NJ / Marlboro) reached via a one-out single before senior
Brendan Bisset (New City, NY / Don Bosco Prep (NJ)) drew a walk. LHP Logan Gilbert briefly evaded trouble with a strikeout before plunking Pena. Forlow then blasted the first pitch he saw for a towering grand slam in staking the visitors to a 5-2 advantage.
Stetson would get two unearned runs back in the bottom part of the frame before tying it up at 5-5 in the bottom of the seventh on Arenas' second run-scoring hit of the game.
Brooks Wilson reclaimed the lead for the Hatters in the bottom of the eighth, leading off the frame with a triple before scoring on a wild pitch.
Pena reached safely three times while Bisset did twice to pace the Manhattan offense.
Five different Stetson players recorded multiple-hits as the Hatters rapped out 14.
Ben Onyshko struck out four over 2.2 hitless innings in earning the win. Gilbert the reigning A-Sun Pitcher of the Year was tagged for a career-high matching five earned runs on five his with 10 strikeouts over 5.1 innings.
The teams will continue their three-game series tomorrow at 6:30 pm.
