Box Score (GM 1) | Box Score (GM 2)
Riverdale, NY - Manhattan split a doubleheader at VCP with Niagara, taking the opener by a 5-4 count, before dropping the nightcap 10-6.
The Jaspers are now 7-17, while the Purple Eagles are 16-10.
Game One
Manhattan jumped in front early with a pair of first inning runs and never looked back en route to posting a 5-4 wire-to-wire victory in the opener.
Junior
Sam Franco (Bardonia, NY / Clarkstown South) began the scoring with a one-out home run to left field, before classmate
Nick Cimillo (Airmont, NY / Suffern) scored on a
Trevor Santos (Fr., Nutley, NJ / Nutley) sacrifice fly.
After RHP
Logan Muratalla (GS, San Dimas, CA / Mt. San Antonio) worked around a bases loaded, one-out situation in the top of the second the Jaspers added to their lead with a two-out rally in the second. Senior
Will Trochiano (Morganville, NJ / Marlboro) smoked a double to right center on the first pitch he saw, before Franco followed suit in belting the first pitch he saw to left field in plating Trochiano.
Niagara would get two runs back in the third, but was unable to further dent the scoreboard as the Purple Eagles again left them loaded.
The Jaspers pushed their lead back out to three at 5-2 in the bottom of the fourth as senior
Jake Knop (Portland, ME / Portland) drew a four-pitch walk, before Trochiano crushed a two-strike offering to left field.
In the top of the fifth, the visitors got two runs back and forced the Green & White to the bullpen With the bases loaded with one out, graduate student
Brendan Shamieh (Whippany / Rochester) promptly fanned the first batter he faced before inducing a long fly out to center to preserve the Manhattan advantage.
Niagara would threaten again in the sixth, but would again be denied by a fantastic running grab by Franco that left a pair of runners stranded.
Shamieh then worked around a two-out walk in the seventh in earning his first save of the year, finishing up with 2.2 innings of one-hit relief in collecting his first save.
Franco went 3-for-3 with a home run, two RBI, a run and a walk, while Trochiano went 2-for-4 with a home run, double and two runs to pace the Jaspers on offense.
Muratalla (1-4) earned the victory, striking out nine, against two walks, while yielding four runs on nine hits over 4.1 innings.
Game Two
Niagara rallied for a 10-6 victory over Manhattan in the nightcap.
The Purple Eagles jumped out to a 5-0 lead in the second game, before the Jaspers got three runs back in the bottom of the third inning with a two-out rally.
Cimillo plated Knop with a RBI single, before senior
Matt Padre (Flemington, NJ / Hunterdon Central) walked and junior
Jonathan Barditch (Miami, FL / Belen Jesuit Prep) followed with a RBI double. Padre would later come around to score the third Green & White run thanks to a Niagara balk.
Manhattan then came back to take its first lead of the game with three more runs in the bottom of the fifth.
Cimillo was plunked leading off the frame, before moving to second on a Padre single. Barditch moved the pair over with a sacrifice bunt, before Cimillo scored another Purple Eagle balk. Santos then delivered a run-scoring double down the right field line to score Padre and tie it up at 5-5. Junior
Lewi Clarke (Saratoga Springs, NY / Saratoga Sprinigs) then gave Manhattan a 6-5 lead thanks to rapping his first collegiate hit to left field on a two-strike offering.
Unfortunately, Niagara would rally with three in the eight and two in the ninth in posting the aforementioned 10-6 final.
Santos went 2-for-4 with a double and a run to pace a seven-hit Jasper attack, while Padre scored twice and reached safely three times on two walks and a hit.
Sophomore LHP
Jack Mahoney (Latham, NY / Stony Brook) earned a no-decision, striking out seven, against just one walk, while yielding four earned runs on eight hits over 6.2 innings.
The teams will conclude their series tomorrow with a 12:00 pm doubleheader.
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