Box Score


RIVERDALE, N.Y.  – The Manhattan College baseball team rallied in the bottom of the ninth inning to overtake the Stags, 4-3, in Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference (MAAC) action.
 
The Stags and the Jaspers were just underway in the second game of today's doubleheader when the game was stopped due to inclement weather. The seven-inning game will resume on Sunday at 12pm followed by tomorrow's regularly scheduled nine-inning series finale.
 
Manhattan (22-25; 9-10 MAAC) took a 1-0 lead in the bottom of the first as Nick Camastro was hit by a pitch to lead off the inning and later scored on a Fairfield throwing error. The Jaspers, however, would not get a hit off of sophomore EJ Ashworth until the fourth inning when Kyle Murphy and Brendan Slattery delivered back-to-back singles with one out. Ashworth and the Stags got out of the jam unscathed.
 
Manhattan starter John Soldinger was equally effective, taking a two-hit shutout into the eighth inning. That's when the Stags (15-28; 7-12 MAAC) got to the right hander as rookie Keith Skinner got things started with a leadoff double. With runners at second and third with two outs, Rob LoPinto roped a single into centerfield to drive in Sal Ciccone and tie the game 1-1. Soldinger then walked Ryan Plourde to load the bases for senior Anthony Hajjar. With the infield in, Hajjar poked single through a hole on the right side to drive in a pair of runs and give the Stags the 3-1 lead.
 
The Jaspers got one of the runs back in the bottom of the eighth inning off of reliever Anthony DiMauro. With two outs, Murphy singled, stole second base and scored on a single by Slattery. That's all the Jaspers would get as DiMauro retired the next batter. In the bottom of the ninth inning, the Jaspers loaded the bases with two outs. Freshman Christian Santisteban singled but a throwing error on the play allowed two runs to score and let Manhattan walk-off with a win.
 
Manhattan reliever Jared Hirschberg picked up the win, striking out two of the four batters he faced in the ninth while Andrew Gallagher took the loss after being charged with Manhattan's fourth run of the day. Both Ashworth and Soldinger received no-decisions after solid performances. Ashworth went 7.0 innings, giving up an unearned run and four hits with four strikeouts while Soldinger went 8.0 innings, striking out seven batters.
 
Skinner was 2-for-3 on the day.