Manhattan Splits Season-Ending Doubleheader At Iona

Game 1: Box Score (HTML) | Box Score (PDF)
Game 2: Box Score (HTML) | Box Score (PDF)

NEW ROCHELLE, N.Y. - Manhattan concluded its season against Iona with a doubleheader split at City Park.

The Jaspers (18-34; 9-15 MAAC) claimed game one by a 6-2 count before seeing the Gaels (20-33; 11-13 MAAC) return the favor via a 5-4 count in the nightcap.

Senior Joe McClennan (Highland Mills, N.Y. / Cornwall Central) led the way for Manhattan on the day, finishing 5-for-7 with two runs, two RBI and a stolen base in the final two games of his collegiate career.

Game 1 - Video Highlights
The Jaspers posted a wire-to-wire 6-2 win over the Gaels in the first game thanks to solid pitching and a balanced offensive attack.

After threatening in the top of the first, Manhattan broke through with the game's first runs in the top of the second. Sophomore Matt Forlow (Cold Spring, N.Y. / Haldane) and senior Vin Teixeira (Hamden, Conn. / Hamden Hall Country Day) each walked to lead off the frame before moving to second-and-third on Chris Reynolds' (Jr., Wall, N.J. / St. Rose) sacrifice bunt. Freshman Michael Pfenninger (Flemington, N.J. / Hunterdon Central) followed with a two-run single to left field to plate Forlow and Teixeira.

RHP Mariano Rivera Jr. then locked in and allowed just two hits over his next three innings of work while striking out five during that time in keeping the score at 2-0.

Junior LHP Joe Jacques (Shrewsbury, N.J. / Red Bank Catholic), meanwhile, matched Rivera pitch-for-pitch over his first four innings of work before running into trouble in the fifth. Carmine Palummo led off with a single before moving to second on a pass ball and would come around to score on Jimmy Guiliano's RBI single while trimming the deficit to 2-1. Jacques, however, would limit the damage and induce an inning-ending pop up and exit after 5.0 innings of work.

Manhattan immediately got that run back in the top of the sixth. Joe McClennan led off with an infield single before moving to third on a Teixeira single. Reynolds followed with a run-scoring single off a two-strike offering while plating McClennan in extending the lead out to 3-1.

Sophomore RHP Joey Rocchietti (Green Brook, N.J. / Watchung Hills) relieved Jacques and made quick work of Iona with a 1-2-3 frame before the Jaspers put the game out of the reach in the top of the seventh.

Freshman Brendan Bisset (New City, N.Y. / Don Bosco Prep (N.J.)) led off with his second hit of the game before sophomore Evan Brown (Asburnham, Mass. / Bridgeton Academy (Maine)) drew a walk and McClennan was plunked. Forlow then hit a deep drive that was dropped, allowing three runs to score while giving Manhattan an insurmountable 6-1 advantage.

Iona would trim the deficit to 6-2 in the seventh but was unable to get any closer.

Bisset and McClennan each notched two hits to pace an eight-hit attack that saw all nine Jasper players reach safely.

Jacques (4-2) earned the win, allowing just an unearned run on four hits with two strikeouts over 5.0 innings.

Guiliano and Vinny DeMaria each registered two hits to pace the Gaels. Rivera (5-7) was saddled with the loss, striking out 12 while yielding six runs, three earned, on eight hits over 6.2 innings.

Game 2
Iona scored three runs in the bottom of the eighth inning to rally for a 5-4 win over Manhattan in the final game of the season for the visitors.

In defeat, the senior trio of Chris Kalousdian (Fort Salonga, N.Y. / Kings Park), Joe McClennan and Mikey Miranda (Miami, Fla. / Florida Christian) combined for eight of the Jaspers' nine hits.

Manhattan started strong in game as Kalousdian and McClennan led off with singles before Miranda plated Kalousdian with a RBI single.

Meanwhile, on the mound senior RHP Scott McClennan (Highland Mills, N.Y. / Cornwall Central) set the Gaels down in order in the bottom of the frame with just seven pitches and allowed just one hit over his first four innings of work.

The Jaspers extended the lead out to 2-0 in the top of the fifth as Forlow led off with a double before later coming around to score on Joe McClennan's second hit of the game.

Iona answered in the bottom part of the frame with its first run of the game as on a Palummo RBI ground out.

The Gaels then tied the game at 2-2 in the sixth on an Alex Beckett RBI single but would be thwarted in their attempt to take the lead when sophomore Jason Patnick (Hopewell, N.J. / IMG Academy (Fla.)) threw a perfect strike from left field to the plate to get the third out.

Manhattan immediately responded with two runs in the top of the seventh. Forlow drew a one-out walk before stealing second and would score on Kalousidan's third hit of the game, an infield single to shortstop. Kalousdian then stole second before coming into score on Joe McClennan's third hit of the game, a sharp single up the middle that pushed the advantage out to 4-2.

Scott McClennan then got the first out of the seventh before being removed to a thundering ovation while capping a remarkable recovery from a pair of serious injuries.

Unfortunately, the outcome wouldn't be a storybook ending as Iona rallied for three runs in the bottom of the eighth before holding off the Jaspers' ninth-inning rally in posting a 5-4 win.

Scott McClennan earned the no-decision despite striking out two and yielding two runs on seven hits over 6.1 innings.

Matt Byrne was 3-for-3 with a double, two runs and two RBI to lead the way for Iona with LHP Andrew Camiolo (1-1) earning the win with a perfect inning of relief. RHP John Daddino pitched the ninth for his second save of the weekend and the fifth of the year.

Manhattan University Athletics