GAME TWO BOXSCORE
Riverdale, N.Y. (April 24, 2006)-The rain finally subsided, and Manhattan senior pitcher Chris Cody went right to work. Those who braved the possibility of more rain showers to take in Jasper baseball on Monday afternoon were treated to a pitcher's delight, as Cody tossed a complete game shutout, mowing down 11 Iona batters in the process, for a 2-0 Manhattan triumph in the first game of a MAAC double-header. Solid pitching was also present in game two, as Iona squeaked out a 4-3 victory in 11 innings.
After waiting two days to toe the rubber because of rain, Cody did not waste any time in taking control of the game one. The southpaw set down the first three men to face him via the backwards "K." Cody did not surrender a hit until the fifth inning and showed off his pinpoint control throughout the game, as not a single Iona hit was able to take a base on balls.
The senior hurler would get all the offense he needed in the bottom of the third inning, when Eric Nieto lined a two-out singles to centerfield. After a stolen base and a wild pitch landed Nieto on third, the leftfielder scored the first run of the ball game on a passed ball.
Third-baseman Dom Lombardi doubled Manhattan's lead in the sixth frame when he hit a two-out laser over the left-field fence.
The Jaspers also struck first in game two. After Nick Derba drew a fourth-inning walk and moved to third on Matt Rizzotti's single up the middle, designated hitter John Fitzpatrick belted a sacrifice fly to center.
Iona tied the game in the top of the ensuing frame, and then the Gaels took the lead in the sixth on a two-run round-ripper by Allie Abbatiello.
Trailing 3-1 heading into the bottom half of the sixth in a seven-inning game, Fitz[atrick stepped up again and cut the Iona lead in half with a two-out RBI double down the left field line, plating Derba, who led off the frame with a line-drive single to left.
After reliever Matt Nevins set the Gaels down 1-2-3 in the top of the seventh, the Jaspers rallied to tie the game in the bottom half of the inning. With two outs and pinch-runner Pat Reynolds waiting on third, Nieto ripped one down the third-base line where Iona's Joe Lorenzo fielded it cleanly but his hurried throw sailed wide of first.
The teams played scoreless ball until the 11th inning, when Iona's Abbatiello ripped a homer to right-center field. Manhattan second-baseman Ruben Perez singled to right to start the Manhattan rally in the bottom half of the frame. After a sacrifice moved Perez into scoring position, short stop Rene Ruiz laced a hard luck line drive at the first-baseman Abbatiello, who fired to second, doubling off Perez to end the ballgame.
The Jaspers return to action on Wednesday, April 24, when they host Columbia in the collegiate version of the subway series at Van Cortlandt Park. First pitch is 1:30 p.m.