Box Score - Game One
Box Score - Game Two
RIVERDALE, N.Y. ? Senior co-captain Ruben Perez went 8-for-11 (.727) with two doubles and six RBI leading the Manhattan College baseball team in a doubleheader split at Iona (6-39-1, 5-18 MAAC) on Friday. Despite falling 12-11 in the first contest which featured 39 hits, the Jaspers rebounded with an 13-1 victory in game two behind a solid pitching performance from junior Tom Costigan. Manhattan (33-16, 17-6 MAAC) has now clinched its second consecutive MAAC Regular-Season Championship and will enter the MAAC Tournament next Thursday as the top-seed.
In game one, Iona used a two run homer from Andre Passerelle in the bottom of the eighth to lock the see-saw contest at 11-11. Gaels' left fielder Eric Capowski then delivered the go-ahead RBI with a single through the left side to take a 12-11 edge, a lead Iona closer Dylan McCullough would hold on to for his first save of the season.
The Jaspers exploded for 20 hits in the ballgame with five apiece coming from Perez, sophomore Mark Onorati, and another four from sophomore Chad Salem. Perez led all players with four RBI, increasing his season total to 46.
Manhattan rolled out to a seven run advantage, a rally highlighted by a four run sixth inning. Perez got the sixth inning surge started with a RBI double to right center, his 18th double of the year. Sophomore first baseman Austin Sheffield followed with his sixth home run of the season, a three run shot to left center.
Jaspers' starting pitcher Mike Gazzola pitched five scoreless innings, before running into trouble in the sixth as the Gaels rallied for seven runs to even the score 7-7. Gaels' right fielder Colin Lyall capped the rally dropping a two RBI single which sent the tying run across the plate.
Perez answered for the Jaspers in the top of the seventh as he reclaimed the lead with a two-run RBI single, but Iona matched this in the bottom frame with a two RBI singles from third baseman Michael Sevilla and center fielder Chris Leahy. Manhattan got the two runs back in the eighth when Ryan Masters and Onorati singled in a pair of runs to take an 11-9 edge.
In the bottom of the eighth, Passerelle launched the game tying home run off of Matt Troisi which triggered a call to the Manhattan bullpen for Tom Moran. Moran inherited a base runner in Dean Dignelli, who immediately swiped second, and then advanced to third on an infield grounder before scoring the game winning run on Capowski's clutch hit.
Gaels' reliever Matthew Casino picked up his first win of the season, while Troisi was credit with his first loss of the year.
Manhattan exploded out of the gate in game two scoring eight runs in the first inning. Sophomore outfielder Mike McCann led off the game with his 12th home run, which opened the floodgates. The Jaspers' hit parade featured three consecutive RBI singles from Sheffield, Anthony Armenio, Jamie Fitzgerald, and then a two RBI double from Ryan Masters.
Salem led off the second inning with a solo blast as he helped the Jaspers build an 11-0 lead. Salem went 6-for-10 in the doubleheader and drove in three RBI.
While the Manhattan offense was clicking on all cylinders, Costigan was also cruising on the mound. The junior pitched six innings allowing just one earned run. He recorded four strikeouts and earned his seventh win.
The Jaspers posted 14 hits in the contest with six players registering multi-hit performances. Perez led the game with three hits, including a RBI double in the seventh inning which represented his 80th hit of the season. Onorati and Salem each recorded their 73rd hits of the season to become the third and fourth players this year to break the program's single season hit record (72, Matt Rizzotti, 2005).
Manhattan wraps up the regular-season tomorrow at noon for the final game of its series with Iona on Salesian Field.
