Fishkill, NY (May 26, 2005)- John Lannan went the distance for Siena, scattering five hits and striking out eight, as the Saints defeated Manhattan 5-0 in the first game of the 2005 MAAC Baseball Championship today at Dutchess Stadium. The Jaspers will take on fourth-seeded Niagara tomorrow, Friday, May 27, at 11:00 a.m. in an elimination game.
Lannan faced the minimum over the first three innings and held Manhattan hitless until
Eric Nieto led off the top of the fourth with a single. Two batters later,
Matt Rizzotti doubled to advance Nieto to third with one out, but the runners ultimately were stranded after a pop up and a strikeout.
Jacob Willis drove in Siena's first run in the bottom of the third on a sacrifice fly, and the Saints tacked on single runs in the fifth and sixth and two in the eighth. Scott King plated three of those runs with RBI singles in each inning.
The Jaspers threatened in the seventh on a leadoff double by Rizzotti and then again in the eighth when
Phil Kuhner led off with a double, but neither runner would cross the plate.
Steve Bronder (6-4) went 7 1/3 innings for Manhattan, and gave up five runs on 11 hits, while striking out four.
Jeremy Shaw then came on in relief and retired the only two batters he faced in the eighth.
