Riverdale, NY (April 28, 2005)- Manhattan jumped out to a quick 5-2 lead against Connecticut this afternoon at Van Cortlandt Park, but the Huskies the next eight runs to take a 10-5 lead before the Jaspers forged a furious comeback, but could not push across the tying runs in the bottom of the ninth, falling 10-8. Manhattan falls to 17-13 on the season, while Connecticut improves to 26-17.
Connecticut took advantage of Manhattan starter
Matt Rizzotti's early control problems, plating two runs in the top of the first. But the Jaspers would respond in the bottom of the frame, scoring five runs to take a 5-2 lead after one inning.
Dom Lombardi led off the bottom of the first with a single, and, after
Gary Diaz drew a walk,
Nick Derba doubled them both home to tie the score at 2-2. Rizzotti followed, helping his own cause with a two run homer to left center to give Manhattan a 4-2 lead. A
Nunzio Franzese solo homer to left increased the Jasper lead to 5-2 after one inning.
The Huskies would score single runs in the second, third, and fourth, and pushed across three more in the sixth and two more in the seventh to open up a 10-5 lead before the Jaspers began to creep back into the game in the bottom of the eight.
Marc Giordano greeted Connecticut reliever Joshua MacDonald to open the bottom of the eight by connecting on his first collegiate homer, driving the ball over the left field fence to make the score 10-6 in favor of the Huskies. The Jaspers then loaded the bases before, with two outs, Rizzotti barely missed a game-tying grand slam, bouncing the ball off the base of the left center field wall to drive in Lombardi and
John Maser and bring Manhattan within two, 10-8.
In the bottom of the ninth off Husky closer Ted Garry, the Jaspers got the first two batter aboard on a hit batsman and a walk, but could not complete the comeback, as Garry got the next three batters to end the game.
Lombardi (3-5, two runs), Rizzotti (3-5, four RBI), and Derba (2-5, two RBI) paced Manhattan with multi-hit games.
Jeremy Shaw posted the best pitching performance for Manhattan, working the final two innings, allowing just one hit while striking out three.
Manhattan gets back in action this weekend, April 30-May 1, when the Jaspers travel to Niagara University, NY to battle Niagara in a three-game MAAC series beginning with a double header on Saturday at 12 noon.
