QUEENS, NY – A fast start by Manhattan College was derailed by St. John's potent lineup with the Red Storm handing the Jaspers a 10-5 loss on Tuesday at Jack Kaiser Stadium. Manhattan (6-13) had its two-game winning streak halted at the hands of St. John's (14-4), who extended its win streak to 11 games.
St. John's, who entered the game 28th in the country in batting average (.318) and 44th in runs per game (8.8), totaled 12 hits, half of which were extra-base knocks. Five players recorded two hits and all but two players in the lineup scored at least one run.
The Red Storm did the bulk of their damage in the first four innings against Jaspers starter Connor O'Neill (0-2). O'Neill gave up nine runs (eight earned) on 10 hits in four innings of work. Jorden Sesar, Carter Cowburn and John Kwiatkowski kept St. John's at bay in the final four innings, only allowing one hit between the three of them and an unearned run.
The Jaspers, fresh off a weekend series win at Hofstra, struck first in the top of the first inning. Frankie Marinelli led off the game with a single, then stole his team-leading fifth bag, before scoring on Drew Wyers' RBI double. However, St. John's immediately responded with two runs in the bottom of the first inning.
Like St. John's, Manhattan had an answer though in the top of the second inning. Dylan Mayer tied the game at 2-2 with a leadoff home run – his first of his career – to left center. Trevor Hansen followed with a walk before Andreaus Lewis drove his second homer of the season – and the Jaspers' second of the frame – the opposite way to right field to retake the lead, 4-2.
The lead did not last long, however, as St. John's strung together a two-out rally in the bottom of the second. After O'Neill retired the first two batters, the next two reached base and scored on Jackson Tucker's two-out, two-run double.
St. John's added two runs in the third, then once again made Manhattan pay with two outs in the fourth. Two runners reached after O'Neill got the first two outs and Luke Orbon provided the difference-maker with a three-run homer.
The third out proved to be elusive for Manhattan as St. John's final run of the afternoon in the bottom of the sixth was the Red Storm's sixth with two outs.
Trailing 9-4 following Orbon's blast, the Jaspers had an opportunity to significantly trim their deficit in the top of the fifth inning, but only managed one run. Daniel Perez led off the inning with single and Wyers drove a double down the left field line to put runners on second and third with no outs. Vincent Davis brought Perez home on a sacrifice fly, but Red Storm reliever Chad Falcon set down the next two batters to minimize damage.
Chris Batuyios tossed the first three innings, giving up four runs, for St. John's followed by two innings from Falcon. Louis Marinaro (3-1) was credited with the win, retiring all nine Jaspers in three innings.
Wyers paced the Manhattan lineup, going 2-for-3 with a pair of doubles, a walk, an RBI and a stolen base. Davis' fifth inning RBI was his ninth in the last four games, upping his season total to a team-leading 12.
The Jaspers will turn their attention to conference play with its first MAAC series on deck starting Friday at 3 p.m. versus Mount St. Mary's. The three-game series, with games at 1 p.m. and 12 p.m. on Saturday and Sunday respectively, will be Manhattan's first home games at Clover Stadium of 2024 after 19 consecutive road games to open the spring.