April 29, 2006
POUGHKEEPSIE, N.Y.-Senior first baseman Kevin Grauer (Plain City, Ohio) scored the game-winning run on a bases-loaded chopper to give the Marist baseball squad a 4-3 victory in 11 innings in the second game of Saturday's doubleheader at the McCann Baseball Field. Manhattan scored a 3-1 victory in the first game. Marist improved to 17-24 overall with the victory and 10-6 in the MAAC, while the Jaspers dropped to 20-17 overall with a 10-6 league mark. Both teams enter Sunday tied for the fourth and final spot in the MAAC Tournament.
With the bases loaded in the bottom of the 11th, Grauer broke for home on freshman second baseman Kyle Meyer's infield chopper to Manhattan third baseman Dom Lombardi. Lombardi's throw home pulled Jasper catcher Nick Derba off the plate, allowing Grauer to slide in just under the tag.
Grauer's heroics made a winner of junior closer Robert Ryan (2-3, Roslindale, Mass.), who rallied after blowing senior starter George Heath's (Henrietta, N.Y.) fifth win of the season. After loading the bases in the top of the seventh, Manhattan evened the score on the Red Foxes with a two-run double to left center by second baseman Ryan Marcoux. However, Ryan settled down after the seventh and allowed just two hits the rest of the way.
Heath pitched beautifully until the seventh, allowing three runs on three hits with five strikeouts and no walks in six and one-third innings. Manhattan reliever Matt Nevins (1-5) suffered the loss, yielding no earned runs and three hits with two strikeouts and three walks in four innings.
Junior right fielder Travis Musolf (Manchester, N.J.) led the Red Foxes with three hits, while classmate Pat Feeney (New City, N.Y.), the third baseman, had a pair of hits. Manhattan was led by two hits apiece from center fielder Mike Garcia and first baseman Matt Rizzoti.
Manhattan's Chris Cody (7-2) was the story in game one, dusting off Marist's hitters with a nine strikeout, complete game performance. Cody allowed just four hits and one earned run, while walking only one. Marist starter Jonathan Smith (3-5) suffered the loss, allowing one run on two hits with four strikeouts and one walk in eight innings. The Jaspers took advantage of a Smith balk and two errors in the inning, one by junior reliever Erik Supplee (Williamsburg, Va.) and the other by junior left fielder Adam Pernasilici (Tecumseh, Ontario) to plate their three runs.
The Red Foxes were led offensively by junior right fielder Tom Ciccarone (Somerville, N.J.), who went 2-for-4. Derba drove in a pair of runs in the ninth with a single to left field to lead Manhattan.
The final game of the series will take place at noon at the McCann Baseball Field. The probable starters for that contest are Marist freshman lefthander Josh Rickards (2-0, 4.41 ERA-Glenolden, Pa.) and Manhattan junior lefty Josh Santerre (1-2, 4.71 ERA).
