JERSEY CITY, N.J. – Manhattan took the lead in the eighth before Saint Peter's answered and went back in front in the bottom half of the inning to hand the Jaspers a 9-7 loss in game two of the weekend series.
Manhattan (11-12, 3-2 MAAC) trailed 6-2 before scoring five in the top of the eighth to take a 7-6 lead.
Frankie Marinelli walked to start the frame. The next batter was
David Bermudez, who hit a two-run home run to cut the deficit in half. Two walks and a single loaded the bases for
Alfredo Delgado with one away. The junior cleared the bases with a double to right field, and Manhattan retook the lead, 7-6.
In the Saint Peter's (4-19, 1-4) half of the inning, a lead-off single and a walk set up Sam Haney for an RBI single to tie the game. Jack Eichler followed with an RBI single to give the Peacocks the lead once again, 8-7. Jeff Massicotte concluded the scoring with another RBI single.
The Jaspers got two runners on in the ninth but could not get them home.
Manhattan led 1-0 after the top of the first and 2-1 after the top of the second.
Matt Padre doubled in the run in the first, and Marinelli singled to plate Alfredo in the second.
The Peacocks took the lead in the bottom of the fourth with runs via a single, hit-by-pitch, and a ground out. Two more runs followed in the sixth on a two-run shot from Haney.
Padre's double in the first extended his streak of reaching base safely to 23 straight games. Bermudez has reached base in 17 straight, and Durocher has done so in 11 in a row.
Saturday, Bermudez finished 3-for-5 with a two-run homer. Delgado went 2-for-4 at the plate with three RBI. Marinelli walked and scored twice.
The former Peacock,
Jordan Warecke, allowed four earned in five innings of work. Warecke struck out seven. Ryan Wappaus picked up the win for Saint Peter's.
Sunday is the rubber game of the weekend series in Jersey City. The Jaspers and Peacocks get underway at 1 p.m., a new start time that was moved back an hour to avoid potential weather.
