Box Score
RIVERDALE, N.Y. - Manhattan scored four times in the third inning and received a terrific six-inning start from Sean Abbate to defeat Fordham, 6-2 on Wednesday afternoon at Van Cortlandt Park.
Abbate went six innings and allowed just one run on four hits in his first start of the season. He allowed a leadoff solo home run to Charles Galiano to start the second, then did not surrender another base hit until the sixth inning. The Rams got runners to second and third with one out in the sixth, but Abbate struck out number-three hitter Tim Swatek and got Galiano to pop out to get out of the jam.
Trailing 1-0 in the third, the Jaspers took advantage of an error to start the frame. Joe McClennan singled home Yoandry Galan, who reached on the error to start the frame, tying the game at 1-1. Fordham starter Shane McDonald plunked Jason Patnick, then gave up an RBI single to Christian Santisteban that gave Manhattan a 2-1 advantage.
Brendan Slattery and Chris Kalousdian then connected on consecutive singles to plate Patnick, making it 3-1. Two batters later, Vin Teixeira drew a bases-loaded walk to score Santisteban with the fourth run of the inning.
In the fourth, Jose Carrera led off with his first collegiate triple and scored on a perfect squeeze bunt single by Patnick, pushing the Manhattan lead to 5-1.
Joey Rocchietti and Michael Martin pitched scoreless innings for Manhattan in the seventh and eighth, allowing the Jaspers to take a 6-1 lead in the eighth on Santisteban's third base hit of the day, which scored Patnick.
Fordham got a single run in the ninth but William Fabra was able to close out the win for Manhattan, its fourth straight victory over Fordham at Van Cortlandt Park.
Manhattan returns to action this weekend for a three-game series against Iona at Van Cortlandt Park. The action starts Saturday at noon with a doubleheader, a nine-inning game followed by a seven-inning contest.