RIVERDALE, N.Y. - Junior outfielder Mark Onorati drove in four runs and went 4-for-7 (.571) from the plate helping the Manhattan baseball team earn a doubleheader sweep against Saint Peter's (8-15, 2-3 MAAC) on Saturday at Van Cortlandt Park. Manhattan (13-9, 3-2 MAAC) took an 8-4 come from behind victory in game one and then edged the Peacocks 3-2 in game two. The teams will complete its three game series in Riverdale on Monday at 12 p.m.
Jaspers' game one starting pitcher Tom Costigan pitched sevens strong innings and notched six strikeouts en route to his third win of the season. Onorati delivered his third RBI of the contest in the seventh inning to break a 3-3 tie giving Manhattan a lead it would not relinquish. He hit 2-for-4 in the ballgame with a double.
Costigan got off to a hot start on the mound striking out three of the first five batters faced and retiring nine of the first 10. The senior from Cold Spring, N.Y. ran into slight trouble in the fourth inning where he allowed all three runs before recording an out. After a lead off walk, Peacocks' freshman Chris Grimes put Saint Peter's first run on the scoreboard doubling to right center. Freshman catcher Brian Schroeder followed with a two run homer to left field. The blast gave Saint Peter's a 3-1 advantage.
Costigan returned to form and only allowed two hits the rest of the way. He finished out the fourth inning getting out the next three batters and he wrapped up his day sitting down three of four batters faced in the seventh.
The Jaspers scored two runs in the sixth to tie the game at 3-3. Senior outfielder Kevin Nieto led off the frame with his first of two doubles in the contest. Two batters later Onorati got him across the plate with a deep RBI single to center. Nieto scored three runs in the series and had three doubles. Peacocks' senior reliever Andrew Costello walked freshman Kyle Murphy with the bases loaded for the game tying run.
In the seventh inning Manhattan tacked on three more runs. After Onorati's decisive RBI, senior designated hitter Anthony Armenio posted a game breaking two run triple. Nieto capped the late surge with a two run double in the eighth.
Mike Giordano pitched two efficient innings out of the Jaspers' bullpen to pick up his second save of the season. Giordano allowed just three hits and recorded one strikeout.
In game two, Manhattan used back-to-back singles from Anthony Vega and Will DeRuve, and then capitalized on a fielding error allowing Vega to score the game winning run in the fourth inning. Vega hit 2-for-3 serving as the Jaspers' designated hitter.
Onorati knocked in Nieto in the first inning after his lead off double to get Manhattan on the scoreboard first. Saint Peter's worked Jaspers' starting pitcher Mike Gazzola for two runs in the second inning to go up 2-1. With two outs, Peacocks' junior Mike LaCava scored on a fielding error and second baseman Conor Mullee walked with the bases loaded. Gazzola went six innings and struck out three batters in his third victory of the year.
Junior third baseman Chad Salem knocked in the tying run in the third inning, before Vega scored the go ahead run in the fourth. Freshman closer John Soldinger earned his MAAC leading sixth save of the year striking out two of three batters in the final frame of what proved to be a unique ending. With one out and the potential game tying run on first base, Soldinger struck out Mullee who was then called for batters interference representing the final out.
Jaspers' junior Mike McCann went 2-for-5 (.400) from the plate with a double and scoring three runs in the doubleheader.
Manhattan returns to the diamond on Monday looking for its 10th straight victory over Saint Peter's. The Jaspers will attempt to sweep the Peacocks for the third straight year.