Hempstead, NY - Freshmen Alex Cerda (Miami, FL / Florida Christian Prep) and Dominic Palma (Hilton, NY / Hilton) combined for two doubles, a home run, four RBI and four runs in leading Manhattan to a decisive 6-3 win over Hofstra in non-conference action.
The Jaspers improve to 11-27 while the Pride falls to 10-28.
Hofstra opened the scoring with a run in the bottom of the first as Steven Foster led off with a triple before scoring on Teddy Cillis' RBI ground out. The Pride added to the lead in the third with a Tom Archer solo home run in extending the lead out to 2-0.
After recording just two hits over the first four innings, the Manhattan bats woke up in the top of the fifth with three runs on the strength of two hits. Senior Jason Patnick (Hopewell, NJ / Hopewell Valley) reached via an error before coming around to score on a Palma RBI double. Cerda followed with a two-run homer to left field in giving the visitors the lead at 3-2.
Hofstra threatened to reclaim the lead in the bottom of the sixth but freshman RHP Nick Massa (Shrewsbury, NJ / Red Bank Regional) struck out David Leiderman while stranding a pair in scoring position.
The Jaspers added to the lead in the top of the seventh when junior Brendan Bisset (New City, NY / Don Bosco Prep (NJ)) was plunked with the bases loaded to force in Palma, who opened the frame with a single.
One inning later, Manhattan put together a two-out rally in extending its advantage out to 6-2. Cerda crushed RBI double to plate Patnick before Michael Pfenninger (Flemington, NJ / Hunterdon Central) singled up the middle. Senior Jose Carrera (Miami, FL / St. Brendan) followed with a run-scoring hit of his own in bringing around Cerda while putting the Jaspers up 6-2.
Hofstra would get one of those runs back in the top of the eighth on a Vito Friscia RBI double before freshman RHP T.J. Stuart (Milford, CT / Joseph A. Foran) stranded a pair of runners in preserving the Jaspers' three-run cushion.
Senior RHP Shawn Kanwisher (Washington Township, NJ / St. Joseph Regional) fired a perfect ninth in notching his sixth save of the year.
Classmate RHP Joey Rocchietti (Green Brook, NJ / Watchung Hills) earned the win with two strikeouts in an inning of relief.
Cerda was 2-for-4 with a double, his first collegiate home run and three RBI to pace an 11-hit Manhattan attack while Patnick and Palma each had two hits.
Steven Foster was 3-for-4 with two runs while falling a home run short of the cycle to lead Hofstra. Seamus Brazill allowed three runs, two earned, over 2.0 innings in being saddled with the loss.
The Jaspers return to action with a 12:00 pm doubleheader at Rider on Saturday, April 29.