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Richmond, VA - Manhattan scored six runs in the eighth inning to break open a tie game en route to posting an 8-6 win over VCU in non-conference action at the Diamond.
With the victory, the Jaspers improve to 1-6 in securing
Mike Cole's first Manhattan win while the defending Atlantic 10 champion Rams fall to 3-7.
With the score tied at 2-2 In the pivotal eighth inning, the Jaspers scored six two-out runs while sending 11 batters to the plate. Freshman
Will Trochiano (Morganville, NJ / Marlboro) delivered the big hit when he cleared the bases with a three-run double down the left field line. Junior
Fabian Pena (Miami, FL / Calusa Prep) capped the scoring with a RBI single in giving the visitors an insurmountable 8-2 advantage after opening the frame with a leadoff double.
VCU would rally for four runs in the bottom of the ninth but was unable to further dent the deficit as graduate student RHP
Matt Simonetti (Manalapan, NJ / Manalapan) struck out the final batter of the game.
Sophomore RHP
T.J. Stuart (Milford, CT / Joseph A. Foran) struck out three over 2.0 innings of one-hit ball in earning his first victory of the year.
Pena paced a five-hit offense, going 2-for-4 with a double and two runs while Trochiano had three RBI, two runs and a double.
Manhattan struck first with a two-out run in the opening frame. Trochiano opened the game with a leadoff walk while reaching base safely for the seventh-straight game to start his career. After moving to second on a ground out, Trochiano would come around to score a
Matt Forlow (GS, Cold Spring, NY / Haldane) RBI single.
VCU would threaten in each of the first two innings, stranding runners in scoring position in each frame as junior RHP
Marc Galvan (Brielle, NJ / Manasquan) evaded trouble each time.
Galvan then settled down and retired the side in order over the next two frames.
Ram starter RHP Connor Gillispie yielded just one run on one hit with seven strikeouts over 3.0 frames before being lifted.
VCU would fight back to tie it up at 1-1 in the bottom of the fifth with an unearned run only to have the Jaspers immediately reclaim the lead in the next frame.
After being plunked with two outs, Pena would come around on a bases loaded error in giving the visitors a 2-1 advantage in the top of the sixth.
VCU would rally to tie the game up at 2-2 in the bottom half of frame but would leave the bases loaded as Galvan concluded his day by inducing a weak grounder back to the mound. Galvan struck out three while yielding just two unearned runs on five hits over 6.0 innings.
In the bottom of the seventh, the Rams appeared to be in prime position to take their first lead of the game but Stuart struck out back-to-back batters with the bases loaded to set the stage for Manhattan's big aforementioned eighth inning.
Mitchel Lacey went 2-for-4 with two RBI to lead a nine-hit VCU attack.
The teams will continue their three-game series tomorrow at 2:00 pm.
