DeLand, FL - Manhattan battled preseason Southland Conference favorite Sam Houston State for nine innings, before dropping a hard-fought 12-7 decision on opening day at Melching Field in game one of the RyCass Classic.
Eight of the Jaspers' nine regulars reached safely with seven rapping out hits.
Hunter Hearn opened the scoring with a solo home run in the top of the second before extending the lead out to 4-0 in the third with a three-run shot.
Manhattan trimmed the deficit to 4-2 in the bottom part of the frame on RBI singles from senior Richie Barrella (Larchmont, NY / Canterbury Prep) and Shawn Blake (Stratford, CT / Elon).
Sam Houston State responded with five runs in the top of the fourth, highlighted by Colton Cowser's grand slam.
The never-say-die Jaspers would immediately get all five runs back in the bottom part of the frame, thanks to rapping out five hits while batting around in trimming the deficit to 9-7.
After a scoreless fifth inning, the Bearkats added an insurance run in the sixth before tacking on two more in the eighth in pushing out their advantage to 12-7.
Unfortunately, the Jaspers were only able to register one more hit over the final five frames, a Nick Cimillo (Fr., Airmont, NY / Suffren) single.
Barrella finished up 2-for-4 with two RBI led the way on offense while Cimillo was 2-for-4 with a run.
Cowser and Hearn each went 2-for-5 with four RBI to pace a nine-hit Sam Houston State offense.
RHP Cody Wolf earned the win, striking out four over 5.1 innings of one-hit relief.
Manhattan returns to action tomorrow against Virginia Tech at 1:00 pm.