Fishkill, N.Y. (May 26, 2007)- Le Moyne College (34-17) earned the league's automatic bid to the 2007 NCAA Division I Baseball Championship with a 9-7 victory over Manhattan College (35-19), in the title game of the 2007 Anaconda Sports MAAC Baseball Championship at Dutchess Stadium. The Jaspers rallied to knot the score at 6-6 after six innings, but could not hold off the Dolphins.
Le Moyne made its mark on the scoreboard first with three runs in the bottom of the second inning as Chris Edmondson singled to left center to plate Corey O'Neill and Robby Perez hit a two-run homer deep over the right field wall.
The Dolphins then scored two more runs in the third, starting with Mike Brown crossing home plate as Edmondson was hit by a pitch with the bases loaded. Andy Parrino then tagged up and raced home when Ben Gaal flied out to left field to give his squad a 5-0 lead.
Manhattan would not go unheard, posting one run in the top of the fifth, as Dom Lombardi scored on a groundout by Ryan Masters. Le Moyne went on to add one more run to its total in the fifth, with Gaal knocking a single to left field to bring in Parrino.
But two fielding errors by the Dolphins allowed the Jaspers to tie the game at 6-6 in the top of sixth inning, starting with Rene Ruiz crossing home plate as Mike Garcia was hit by a pitch with the bases loaded. Matt Rizzotti scored on a single by Lombardi, and Nick Derba plated home on a groundout by Nunzio Franzese. Masters then knocked a two RBI single to right center to bring in Garcia and Lombardi to tie the game.
Phil St. Amant broke the tie for Le Moyne in the bottom of the seventh, as he singled up the middle to bring Parrino across home plate. Steve Crawford and Brown recorded back-to-back solo home runs over the left field wall in the bottom of the eighth.
With two outs in the top of the ninth, Rizzotti scored one more run for Manhattan off a single by Garcia, and Manhattan had the go-ahead run at the plate, but the Dolphins held on to win their fourth league title in school history.
Le Moyne's Ryan Woods, the championship's Most Outstanding Player, improved to 7-1 with the win. Manhattan's Brian Pendergast finished the year at 8-1 on the mound.
2007 MAAC All-Tournament Team
Infield:
Andy Parrino, Le Moyne
Phil St. Amant, Le Moyne
Ryan Masters, Manhattan
Matt Rizzotti, Manhattan
Rene Ruiz, Manhattan
Outfield:
Perry Silverman, Canisius
Mike Brown, Le Moyne
Brian McDonough, Marist
Designated Hitter/Utility:
Justin Lepore, Marist
Pitchers:
Bobby Blevins, Le Moyne
Ryan Woods, Le Moyne
MOP: Ryan Woods, Le Moyne