Riverdale, N.Y. (April 14, 2007)?On a day when Manhattan College honored the 50th anniversary of the 1957 Jaspers advancing to the NCAA Regionals, the 2007 Jaspers continued to etch its place in the program's history by running its MAAC record to a perfect 11-0 by sweeping a doubleheader from Marist College, 6-1 and 7-6.
The Red Foxes made Manhattan fight tooth and nail for their 11th win in game two, as Manhattan used a walk-off, two-run double from Mike Garcia in the seventh inning to secure the win. Trailing 6-5 entering the seventh, Rene Ruiz singled to lead off the inning, followed by another single from Matt Rizzotti. After Nick Derba's fly out to right field advanced Ruiz to third, Garcia ripped a double to centerfield that easily plated Ruiz and Rizzotti for the winning runs.
Leading 3-2 entering the bottom of the fifth, the Jaspers seemed to take control of the game when Garcia, who went 2-3 with five RBI in the nightcap, blasted a two-run homerun to left field. Marist however fought back in the sixth off Manhattan pitchers Josh Santerre and Brian Pendergast.
After Santerre conceded a two-run single to Richard Curylo that made the score 5-4, the lefty gave way to Pendergast who gave up the tying and go-ahead runs on consecutive RBI singles.
The Jaspers didn't need any late-game heroics in game one as Jesse Darcy shut down the Red Foxes. The senior pitched a complete game, allowing just one run on six hits, while striking out four as he improved his record to 5-2 on the season. Manhattan's offense came from Rizzotti, who went 3-3 with a solo homerun, and Ruben Perez's two RBI.
With the game tied at 1-1 in the bottom of the fifth, Ruiz singled in Eric Nieto from second to give Manhattan a 2-1 lead. After Ruiz was picked off, Rizzotti's homerun increased Manhattan's lead to 3-1.
In the eighth inning, the Jaspers picked up insurance runs from Perez's two-run single, and Nunzio Franzese's RBI groundout.
Manhattan will look to make it 12-0 in the MAAC tomorrow, and 11 straight wins overall when the Jaspers and Red Foxes play the third and final game of the series at Van Cortlandt Park.
