Box Score (PDF)
Riverdale, NY - NJIT erupted for nine unanswered runs en route to posting a 9-7 win over Manhattan in non-conference action at Dutchess Stadium.
The Highlanders improve to 7-4-1 while the Jaspers fall to 4-9.
After stranding a pair of runners in its first trip to the plate, Manhattan broke through with two runs in the second. Junior
Alex Cerda (Miami, FL / Florida Christian School) led off with a single before freshman
Jonathan Barditch (Miami, FL / Belen Jesuit Prep) and sophomore
Santiago Riera (Rioclaro, Venezuela / Brunswick (CT)) drew two-out walks. Graduate student
Shawn Blake (Stratford, CT / Elon) followed with a two-run single through the right side to plate Cerda and Barditch.
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The Jaspers added to the lead with two runs in their next trip to the plate. Sophomore
Matt Padre (Flemington, NJ / Hunterdon Central) led off with a single before scoring on freshman
David Moffett's (Oneida, NY / Vernon-Verona-Sherrill Senior) double to left center. Moffett would later come around to score on freshman
Sam Franco's (Bardonia, NY / Clarkstown South) line-drive single to left field, which pushed the advantage out to 4-0.
NJIT finally dented scoreboard with a single score in the fifth before taking its first lead of the day at 5-4 in the sixth with four runs.
The Highlanders then extended their advantage out to 9-4 with a run in the seventh and three more in the eighth.
Down but not out, Manhattan loaded the bases in the ninth with no outs before Cerda crushed a two-run triple to plate freshman
Nick Cimillo (Airmont, NY / Suffern) and Padre. Freshman
Keury Abreu (Bronx, NY / St. Raymond) followed with a RBI ground out to trim it the deficit to 9-7, but that would be as close as the Jaspers would get.
Manhattan outhit NJIT by a 12-10 count and was led by the quartet of Barditch, Blake, Cerda and Padre, which combined to go 8-for-17 with four RBI and four runs.
Sophomore RHP
Teddy Sabato (Rye Brook, NY / UNC) was solid in the mound in his first collegiate start, striking out one over 2.0 scoreless innings while junior RHP
Jose De La Cruz (New York, NY / Westchester CC) retired all five batters he faced and freshman RHP
Mason Vaughan (Endicott, NY / Seton Catholic Central) worked a scoreless ninth.
Paul Franzoni went 2-for-3 with two runs to lead the way for the Highlanders.
LHP Jake Rappaport fired 3.2 scoreless innings to collect the win while RHP Bryce Short got the final three outs to earn the save.
The Jaspers will be back in action at No. 23 Michigan on Thursday, March 14 at 4:00 pm.
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