Wappingers Falls, NY - Manhattan rapped out a season-high 14 runs on a season-high matching 18 hits in rolling to an decisive 14-4 victory over Marist in the series opener between the teams at Dutchess Stadium.
The Jaspers improve to 15-22 and 8-2 in the MAAC with their eighth-straight conference victory while the Red Foxes fall to 15-20 and 5-5 in the league.
Eight regulars hit safely, including six with multiple-hits, led by sophomore Jake Knop (Portland, ME / Portland), who finished up 4-for-5 with three doubles, three runs and two RBI.
Marist struck first with a run in the second inning thanks to Nick Cantone's RBI infield single.
After threatening in its first three trips to the plate, Manhattan finally broke through with three runs in the fourth inning.
Junior Dominic Palma (Hilton, NY / Hilton) led off with a walk, before moving to second on classmate Alex Cerda's (Miami, FL / Florida Christian School) single to left field. Sophomore Matt Padre (Flemington, NJ / Hunterdon Central) pushed the pair to the second-and-third with a sacrifice bunt, before freshman Keury Abreu (Bronx, NY / St. Raymond) tied the game up with a RBI ground out. Freshman Jake Knop (Portland, ME / Portland) followed with a RBI double and would come around to score on classmate Jonathan Barditch's (Miami, FL / Belen Jesuit Prep) RBI single to make it a 3-1 game.
After graduate student LHP John Cain (Middletown, NY / Lafayette) breezed through the line-up in the top of the fifth, the Jaspers were back at it in the bottom part of the frame, adding six runs while sending 10 batters to the plate. Cerda was plunked with the bases loaded, before Padre and Abreu delivered RBI fielder's choice ground outs. Knop and Barditch then added two-out RBI doubles and freshman Sam Franco (Bardonia, NY / Clarktstown South) got into the fun with a RBI single up the middle.
Marist would respond with three runs in the top of the sixth, but stranded a pair on bases as Cain hunkered down to limit the damage.
Cerda got one run back in the bottom of the frame with a RBI single, before Manhattan stretched the lead back out to eight at 12-4 in the seventh with two more runs thanks to a Shawn Blake (GS, Stratford, CT / Elon) RBI double and a Cimillo RBI single.
Abreu delivered a RBI triple and Franco a run-scoring single to cap the scoring for the Jaspers in the eighth inning.
Cain (5-3) earned the win, striking out six over 8.0 innings while yielding four runs, three earned, on eight hits and four walks.
Cimillo and Franco each had three hits while Abreu drove in three runs to join Knop as the top Jasper performers on offense.
Cantone had two hits and two RBI to lead the way for the Red Foxes.
The teams will conclude their series tomorrow with a 1:00 pm doubleheader.