Box Score
RIVERDALE, N.Y. ? The Manhattan College baseball team rolled to a 9-2 victory at Temple (2-8) on Friday at Skip Wilson Field in Ambler, Pa. Senior second baseman Ruben Perez carried the Jaspers offensive production going 4-for-5 with two RBI, while junior left-hander Mike Gazzola tossed a complete game for his first win of the season.
Temple got on the scoreboard first when senior catcher Kyle Obal singled down the left field line driving in Byron McCoy in the bottom of the first. Manhattan (4-5) would quickly erase the one run deficit in the top of the second when Perez knocked in his first run of the ball game on an RBI single. Anthony Armenio scored on the play.
The Jaspers went down by another run the bottom of the fourth, but posted three runs in the following inning to regain a lead they would not relinquish. Sophomore Mark Onorati drove in Ryan Masters to tie the game at 2-2, and then third baseman Chad Salem delivered the go ahead two RBI single down the left field line.
Onorati hit 3-for-6 in the contest, while Ryan Masters added two more to the team's 17 hit total.
Austin Sheffield busted the game open in the sixth when he blasted a two run homer over the left field fence to give the Jaspers a 6-2 advantage. It was Sheffield's second home run of the season. He tallied two hits and scored two runs in the contest.
Manhattan scored one run in each of the final three innings to secure the victory. Perez delivered an RBI single in the seventh, Mike McCann drove out a solo home run in the eighth and co-captain Kevin Nieto had an RBI single in the ninth.
Gazzola pitched nine strong innings allowing just two earned runs. He limited Temple to just three hits and stranded three runners on base in the last five frames.
Manhattan travels to Saint Joseph's tomorrow at 1 p.m.
