Manhattan Rolls To Doubleheader Sweep At Rider

Box Score 1 | Box Score 2 Game One: Box Score (HTML) | Box Score (PDF)
Game Two: Box Score (HTML) | Box Score (PDF)

Lawrenceville, NJ - Manhattan took both ends of a doubleheader from Rider by scores of 7-5 and 8-6 at Sonny Pittaro Field.

Senior Matt Forlow (Cold Spring, NY / Haldane) went 6-for-8 with five runs, two doubles, two RBI and two stolen bases in the sweep as the Jaspers improve to 13-28 and 7-8 in the MAAC while the Broncs fall to 17-22-1 and 9-9 in the league.

Game One
Manhattan posted a decisive 7-5 win over Rider in game one behind an imposing offensive attack that rapped out 14 hits.


All 10 Jasper position players reached safely with nine registering hits as the visitors scored in five of their seven trips to the plate.

Manhattan quickly opened the scoring with a pair of first-inning runs. Senior Jose Carrera (Miami, FL / St. Brendan) led off with an infield single before moving to second on a Brendan Bisset (Jr., New City, NY / Don Bosco Prep) sacrifice bunt. After sophomore Fabian Pena (Miami, FL / Calusa Prep) was intentionally walked, senior Evan Brown (Asburnham, MA / Bridgton Academy (ME)) smoked the first pitch he saw to center in plating Carrera. After a fielder's choice grounder, Forlow brought around Pena with a single through the left side in capping the scoring.

After junior LHP Tom Cosgrove (Staten Island, NY / Farrell) set down Rider in order in the bottom of the first, the Jaspers added to their lead in the second as freshman Alex Cerda (Miami, FL / Florida Christian) led off with his second home run of the year.

In the bottom part of the frame, the Broncs got one run back on a Lee Lipinski solo shot in trimming the deficit to 3-1.

One inning later, Kyle Johnson tied the game up at 3-3 with a two-run homer to left field.

Manhattan immediately reclaimed the lead with two-out rally in the top of the fourth. Junior Michael Pfenninger (Flemington, NJ / Hunterdon Central) crushed a double to left center before scoring on a Carrera run-scoring double. One batter later, Pfenninger scored on a Bisset infield single as the throw went wide of the bag.

Rider again fought back to tie the game at 5-5 in the bottom of the fifth.

Not to be denied, the Jaspers reclaimed the lead for good in the sixth as Carrera drew a one-out walk before scoring on a Bisset RBI double.

Manhattan would add to its advantage in the seventh as Forlow led off with a double before coming around to score on a Pfenninger sacrifice fly.

Bisset, Brown, Carrera, Forlow and Pfenninger all registered two hits in leading the way for the Jasper offense.

Cosgrove earned his third win of the year, striking out seven over 6.1 innings while yielding five runs on six hits and two walks with senior RHP Shawn Kanwisher (Washington Township, NJ / St. Joseph Regional) inducing a double play grounder in recording his seventh save of the season.

Game Two
Manhattan scored twice in the 10th inning to complete a doubleheader sweep of Rider with an 8-6 win.


The Jaspers again opened the scoring, plating a run in the second inning when Forlow notched a one-out double before coming around to score on a wild pitch.

In the bottom part of the frame, the Broncs appeared poised to break the game open but Brown made a full-extension grab of a Richie Tecco smash to the gap for the third and final out.

Manhattan reclaimed the lead with a two-out rally in the fourth. Forlow singled to center before scoring on a Dominic Palma (Fr., Hilton, NY / Hilton) RBI double. Cerda followed with a RBI single in plating Palma while extending the lead to 3-1.

Rider got one run back in the bottom part of the frame before the visitors added three runs to the lead in the sixth while grabbing what appeared to be an insurmountable 6-2 advantage. Junior Adam Genners (Jacksonville, FL / Stanton College Prep) walked to start things off before moving to third on a Patnick single. Forlow followed with his third hit of the game in scoring Genners. Later in the frame, Pfenninger plated Patnick and Forlow with a big two-out, two-run double.

The Broncs got three back in the seventh before tying it up at 6-6 in the ninth before the visitors put the game on ice in the 10th.

With one out, Patnick scored on an error before Forlow scored an insurance run on a on a Cerda RBI fielder's choice grounder.

Kanwisher capped his second win of the year with a scoreless bottom part of the frame.

Forlow went 4-for-4 with a double, walk, four runs and two stolen bases to pace a 14-hit Jasper attack. Patnick added three hits while Bisset and Pfenninger each recorded two to round out the multi-hit performers for Manhattan.

Senior RHP Joey Rocchietti (Green Brook, NJ / Watchung Hills) struck out eight while yielding four runs, three earned, over 6.1 innings with Kanwisher fanning four over the final 3.2 innings.

Tyler Kaiser and Mike Volaski each had three hits to highlight a 14-hit Rider attack.

The Jaspers return to action at UAlbany on Tuesday, May 2 with first pitch tabbed for 3:00 pm.