Riverdale, N.Y. (March 25, 2007)- Exactly one year to the day after Manhattan opened the 2006 MAAC season with a double-header sweep, and the Jaspers followed suit in their 2007 MAAC opener, sweeping Canisius College, 5-0 and 7-3, this afternoon at Van Cortlandt Park. Seniors Jesse Darcy and Josh Santerre earned the wins on the mound for Manhattan, which improves to 6-10, 2-0 MAAC, while the Golden Griffs fall to 4-17, 0-2 MAAC.
In the opener, Darcy was magnificent, twirling a complete game shutout. The senior right hander scattered five hits, while striking out nine and walking none.
Canisius put together its best scoring opportunity in the top of the first. Ryan Asis hit the first pitch of the game into the left-center gap for a double, and advanced to third on a wild pitch with no outs, but Darcy got three straight outs to end the threat.
The Jaspers got on the board in the second, as Nunzio Franzese doubled with one out and scored on Eric Nieto's single up the middle with two outs. Manhattan added three more runs in the third. Kevin Nieto walked to lead off the inning, and, after an out, Matt Rizzotti blasted a home run to center for a two-run home run. Following an out, Dom Lombardi singled, advanced to second on a wild pitch, and scored on a Ruben Perez single through the left side.
The game's final run came in the sixth. Kevin Nieto singled and stole second with two outs, and scored on Mike Garcia's single through the left side.
Darcy retired 13 consecutive batters in the middle innings, and did not face more than five batters in any single inning to pick up his second win of the season.
In the night cap, Canisius again threatened in the top of the first, but this time was able to scratch out a run on a double, a sacrifice bunt, and an RBI ground out to take a 1-0 lead.
The lead was short lived, however, as the Jaspers scored twice in the bottom of the frame. Eric Nieto led off the inning with a double, advanced to third on a groundout, and scored on a sacrifice fly before Rizzotti belted his second homer of the day, this time to left center, to make the score 2-1.
Manhattan would break open the game in the third, plating five runs. Nick Derba tallied a bases loaded walk to score Eric Nieto, and back-to-back two-RBI doubles from Lombardi and Perez brought home four more runs to give the Jaspers a 7-1 lead.
Canisius would score twice in the fourth, but advanced just one runner into scoring position the rest of the way.
Santerre earned his second win of the season, working six innings. Rookie Tom Moran induced three groundouts in a perfect seventh.
The two teams will conclude their three game series tomorrow, Monday, March 26. The nine-inning finale is slated to begin at 1:00 p.m.
