Manhattan University Athletics

franco
Manhattan Splits With Saint Peter's
Baseball
Posted: 5/16/2021 8:37:00 PM
Box Score (GM 1) | Box Score (GM 2)

Riverdale, NY
- Manhattan split a doubleheader with Saint Peter's, winning game one by a 5-4 count in walk-off fashion, before dropping the nightcap 8-7 at VCP.

With the split, the Jaspers are now 12-22, while the Peacocks are 4-22, and 4-24 in the MAAC.

The Green & White is next scheduled to play at No. 1 Fairfield on Thursday, May 20 at 11:00 am, with the official announcement still to come from the MAAC.

Game One
* Junior Sam Franco (Bardonia, NY / Clarkstown South) hit two home runs in leading Manhattan to a 5-4 win over Saint Peter's in the opener.

* Trailing 1-0 in the third inning, the Jaspers took their first lead of the game on Franco's first home run, a two-run shot to left field.

* The Peacocks reclaimed the lead with two runs in the fourth, before extending their advantage out to 4-2 in the fifth inning.

* Manhattan got a run back in the fifth on Matt Padre's (Flemington, NJ / Hunterdon Central) two-out RBI double to right field.

* In the bottom of the decisive seventh inning, Franco led off with a game-tying home run to left field.

* Padre then drew a one-out walk, before moving to third on a Richie Barrella (GS, Larchmont, NY / Canterbury Prep) double.

* Senior Jake Knop (Portland, ME / Portland) then won the game for the Jaspers with a sacrifice fly to right that plated Padre with the game-winning run.

* Senior RHP Jose De La Cruz (New York, NY / Westchester CC) earned the win, striking out two over 2.0 hitless innings of relief.

* Franco finished up 3-for-4 with two home runs, three RBI and three runs to pace an eight-hit Jasper attack, while Barrella was 2-for-4 with a double.

Game Two
* Saint Peter's rallied for an 8-7 win over Manhattan in the nightcap.

* The Peacocks opened the scoring with a leadoff home run, before the Jaspers exploded for five runs in their first trip to the plate.

* Knop hit a grand slam, and freshman Frankie Marinelli (Florham Park, NJ / Hanover Park) stroked a two-strike, RBI single to account in giving the Jaspers a 5-1 lead after one complete.

* Saint Peter's would rally with three runs in the second and two in the fourth in taking a 6-5 lead.

* The Peacocks stretched their advantage out to 8-5 with two runs in the seventh, before the Green & White made things interesting in the ninth.

* Franco and junior Nick Cimillo (Airmont, NY / Suffern) led off with singles, before Padre drew a walk to load the bases with no out.

* Barrella followed with a sacrifice fly, before freshman Trevor Santos (Nutley, NJ / Nutley) delivered a run-scoring single to trim the deficit to 8-7.

* Unfortunately, that would be as close as Manhattan would get.

* Cimillo, Franco, Knop and Marinelli all had two hits to pace the Jaspers.

* Freshman RHP Connor O'Neill (Fairfield, CT / Fairfield Ludlowe) fired a scoreless ninth with two strikeouts, while sophomore Colin McGrath (Quincy, MA / Catholic Memorial) struck out two over 3.0 solid innings to lead the way for the pitching unit.
 
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