RIVERDALE, N.Y. -- With Kevin Nieto and Chad Salem picking up a total of 11 hits in two games, the Manhattan College baseball team split a doubleheader with Rider University Saturday afternoon at Rider, losing the first game 6-3, but coming back in the second with a 14-5 victory.
Manhattan (16-10, 5-3 MAAC) got on the board quickly in the first inning of the second contest when Nieto doubled to open the game for his fifth consecutive hit of the day. Mark Onorati then walked. After Chad Salem flied out, Austin Sheffield singled to left to bring home Nieto to make the score 1-0.
Then the Jaspers opened the game right up with six runs in the second and four runs in the third.
In the top of the second, Anthony Armenio walked to open up the stanza with catcher Ramon Ortega then singling down the left field line to move Armenio to third. After a fielder's choice in which Armenio made the first out at third, shortstop Nick Camastro beat out a bunt single to third to load the bases. Nieto then singled to short for his sixth consecutive hit of the day to bring in a run; Onorati singled to bring in a second run and then Salem singled to bring in another run to make the score 4-0. After Sheffield popped up to short for the second out, Mike McCann came through with a double to knock in three runs.
In the top of the third, Ortega led off with homer. Second baseman Kyle Murphy was then hit by a pitch before Camastro grounded out. Nieto walked to make it first and second before Onorati flied out to left field for the second out. But then Salem slammed a three run homer to left to take the score to 11-0.
The Jaspers added one more run in the fourth when Ortega picked up a one-out single and Murphy was hit by a pitch to make it first and second. Camastro then reached on a fielder's choice, with Ortega scoring on a throwing error by the Rider second baseman to make the score 12-0.
The Jasper run parade kept going in the top of the fifth as Onorati singled to open up the inning and then came home on a two-run homer by Salem, his second dinger of the contest and team leading eighth home run of the season.
In a 16-hit second game attack, five Jaspers had a multiple hits, led by Ortega who had four hits. Salem picked up three hits, while Nieto, Onorati and Sheffield had two each.
Jasper pitcher Mike Gazzola picked up his fourth win, giving up only four hits in his six innings of work and shutting out Rider for the first five innings of the game.
In the first game of the twin-bill, Manhattan put eight hits on the board -- four of which came from leadoff hitter Nieto -- but could only score three runs against Rider starter Mike Smith and reliever Tyler Smith and lost the game to the Broncs 6-3.
After a scoreless first three innings for both teams, Rider got on the board first, getting three runs in the bottom of the fourth with the key hit being a two-run homer by Ryan Murphy.
But the Jaspers came right back with two runs in the top of the fifth. With one out, shortstop Camastro walked and Nieto followed with a triple to center, knocking in Camastro. After left fielder Onorati grounded out to the pitcher, third baseman Salem singled to left to bring in Nieto, making the score 3-2.
Rider then put a fourth run on the scoreboard in the bottom of the fifth before Manhattan came back again with a run in the top of the sixth to make the score 4-3 on a leadoff homer from right fielder Mike McCann.
After a scoreless seventh frame for both teams , Manhattan was shut down in the top of the eighth, with Rider tallying two in the bottom of the eighth to clinch the contest.
In addition to Nieto's four hits, Salem had two hits for Manhattan. Jasper pitcher Tom Costigan started the game, hurling six innings and giving up four runs on seven hits and striking out seven.
The last game of the three-game set will take place on Sunday at noon.