Box Score Box Score (HTML) | Box Score (PDF)Niagara University, NY - Niagara salvaged the series finale with Manhattan by a 5-4 count at Bobo Field thanks to Christian Vangeison being hit by a pitch with the bases loaded in the bottom of the ninth.
The Jaspers, which captured their second-straight series victory, fall to 17-28 and 8-10 in the MAAC while the Purple Eagles improve to 16-28-1 and 11-10 in the league.
After squandering a scoring opportunity in the bottom of the first, Niagara exploded for four runs with four hits in the second. The damage could have been worse but Manhattan got the final out of the frame when Greg Cullen tried to take second while stranding a runner at third.
The Purple Eagles again threatened in the third, putting runners at second-and-third with one out but junior RHP
Joey Rocchietti (Green Brook, NJ / Watchung Hills) got the final two outs of the frame.
In the top of the fourth, senior
Christian Santisteban (Miami, FL / Gulliver Prep) put the Jaspers on the board with a leadoff home run. Freshman
Fabian Pena (Miami, FL / Calusa Prep) followed with his MAAC-leading 19th double and would come around to score on
Michael Pfenninger's (So., Flemington, NJ / Hunterdon Central) RBI single as Manhattan trimmed the deficit to 4-2.
Niagara responded by again putting runners on second-and-third with one out, only to be denied by junior RHP
Shawn Kanwisher (Washington Township, NJ / St. Joseph Regional), who induced a pop up and an inning-ending grounder to keep the deficit at two runs.
The Jaspers would continue to fight and trimmed the deficit to 4-3 in the top of the eighth with a two-out rally. Santisteban legged out an infield single before advancing to second on a wild pitch. Pena then delivered another clutch hit, smoking a RBI single to center.
Manhattan then came all the way back to tie the game up at 4-4 in the top of the ninth. Pfenninger led off with a double before moving to third on a
Richie Barrella (Fr., Larchmont, NY / Canterbury Prep) sacrifice bunt. Classmate
Anthony Rocchietti (Green Brook, NJ / Watchung Hills) followed with a RBI ground out to first tie it up at 4-4.
Unfortunately, the Purple Eagles immediately loaded up the bases in the bottom part of the frame before scoring the winning run on the aforementioned plunking.
Pena was 2-for-3 with a double, RBI, run and walk while Santisteban also finished up 2-for-3 with a home run, two runs and a walk to pace the Jasper offense.
Junior RHP
Shawn Kanwisher was outstanding out of the pen, striking out three over 3.2 innings of one-hit ball while facing the minimum 11 batters.
Greg Cullen went 3-for-5 with two RBI to pace an 11-hit attack for Niagara with Matt McCuen (4-4) earning the win, yielding two runs over 3.2 innings of relief.
Manhattan returns to action at Saint Peter's on Saturday, May 14 with first pitch slated for 12:00 pm.
