DELAND, Fla. - Manhattan continued their Florida trip on Saturday by defeating Delaware 11-1 at Melching Stadium. The Jaspers used a six-run first inning to fuel the victory and were led by a trio of pitchers.
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Manhattan (1-1) laid the groundwork for its fast start with a walk from
Dolan Ocasal and a single by
David Bermudez in the first inning. After
Matt Padre reached on a catcher's interference to load the bases,
Harrison Treble roped a single to center field to score Ocasal. Then,
Pete Durocher laced a single up the middle to plate two more runners before
Jack Lynch drove in another pair on a triple down the right-field line. The Jaspers would tack on their sixth and final run of the opening frame when Lynch scored on an RBI groundout to first base by
Jacob Radziewicz.
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The Jaspers added to their lead in the second inning when Bermudez doubled down the right-field line to score
Frankie Marinelli and Ocasal. Bermudez would later touch home plate to make it 9-0, with Delaware (0-2) opting for the double play on a groundout by Treble. An inning later, a sacrifice fly from Marinelii scored
Trevor Santos to establish a double-digit advantage for the Jaspers.
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Joseph Carpenter drove in the Blue Hens' lone run when he homered to left field in the fourth inning. Delaware stranded eight base runners and managed only six hits.
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Bermudez wrapped up his big day at the plate with a double to center field in the eighth inning that allowed Ocasal to score his third run of the game. Bermudez was 3-for-4 with three RBIs to pace a Manhattan lineup that featured seven players who recorded hits.
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Graduate transfer
Will Hesslink made his debut for the Green and White and picked up the win. He held Delaware to one run and five hits across six innings of work.
Ohjiro Motoki pitched one scoreless frame in relief, and
Kyle Lesler induced four strikeouts in his two scoreless innings of work. Carter Welch started on the bump for Delaware and allowed seven runs in one inning of work.
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The Jaspers are set to play their final game in Florida when they face Stetson at 2 p.m. on Sunday. The game will be streamed on ESPN+.
