RIVERDALE, N.Y. - The Manhattan baseball team split its conference doubleheader on Saturday at Fairfield (14-16, 4-4 MAAC). The Jaspers rebounded with a 6-5 win in game two, after falling 7-6 in the opening contest. Senior outfielder Kevin Nieto led Manhattan (17-13, 6-5 MAAC) batting .625 (5-for-8) and he scored four runs in two game set.
In game one, Manhattan surrendered a four run lead in the seventh inning as Stags' designated hitter Carmine DeVito tied the game at 6-6 with a two-run homer. Then with one out and the bases loaded in the bottom of the ninth, DeVito broke the tie with a walk-off sacrifice fly.
Jaspers' starting pitcher Mike Gazzola was effective through six innings, before running into trouble in the seventh. The senior lefty from White Plains recorded a season-high six strikeouts.
Junior right-fielder Mike McCann led Manhattan in the game by going 3-for-4 from the plate with two runs and a RBI. McCann delivered a RBI triple to right center as part of a two run first inning.
After yielding one run in the bottom of the first inning, Manhattan rallied for four runs in the top of the sixth inning to extend its lead to 6-1. Junior third baseman Chad Salem singled in the first run, while two Fairfield errors help push the next three across home plate. Salem led Manhattan with two RBI in the ballgame.
Fairfield began its six run game winning surge in the sixth inning on third baseman David Dudish's RBI single to get within 6-2. The Stags used a pair of two-run homers from right fielder Jason Rago and DeVito to tie the game in the seventh, which set the stage for DeVito's decisive RBI in the ninth.
Stags' starting pitcher Rob Gariano pitched the complete game to move to 3-3 on the season. He had 10 strikeouts. Jaspers' reliever Mike Giordano was credited with his first loss of the season falling to 3-1.
In game two, Manhattan scored five runs in the first inning and never looked back. Jaspers' designated hitter Anthony Armenio anchored the initial surge by launching a three run homer for his fifth blast of the season.
Nieto hit his third home run of the year in the top of the second, a solo shot to give Manhattan a 6-0 cushion. Nieto went 3-for-4 and scored two runs in the contest.
Jaspers' freshman starter Eric Luksis pitched Manhattan through 5 1/3 innings en route to his second win of the season. The left-hander from Wappingers Falls, N.Y. struck out four batters and allowed four earned runs.
Fairfield scored one run in the third inning and two runs in the fifth, before Luksis turned the ball over to Giordano in the sixth inning who inherited a base runner with a 6-4 advantage. Stags' first baseman Anthony Hajjar proceeded to single in their fifth run of the game to pull within one. He led Fairfield going 3-for-4 from the plate.
Giordano ended the Stags' sixth inning run by striking out DeVito for his second K of the frame. The Bedford, N.Y. native closed out his third save of the season striking out two of three batters faced in the seventh.
Manhattan and Fairfield return to action on Sunday for the rubber match. First pitch is slated for 12 p.m. at Alumni Diamond.