POUGHKEEPSIE, New York - The Marist baseball team swept Manhattan in a Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference doubleheader on Sunday afternoon at McCann Field.
Despite a late comeback by the Jaspers, the Red Foxes won game one 7-5. The Red Foxes jumped out to a 3-0 early in game two and never looked back, winning 7-2.
Marist improves to 13-7 on the year while Manhattan falls to 9-21.
Marist 7, Manhattan 5
W: Candelario (3-1), L: Sabato (2-5)
- Manhattan loaded the bases with two outs in the second inning with Erubiel Candelario on the mound for the Red Foxes. Candelario caused Lewi Clarke to line out to Robbie Armitage at third base and end the inning, getting the Red Foxes out of the jam.
- Brian Picone doubled down the right-field line to begin the bottom half of the second inning. With two outs, Matt Rubayo sent a ball straight up the middle into center field, scoring Picone from second, giving the Red Foxes a 1-0 lead.
- Ben McNeill started off the third inning with a leadoff infield single. Tyler Kapusincski then doubled by slamming a ball down the line in right field, sending McNeill to third. A sacrifice fly to right field from Brian Hart sent McNeill home, giving Marist a 2-0 advantage. Consecutive walks from Picone and Robbie Armitage loaded the bases with two outs in the inning. Matt Rubayo then blooped a ball into shallow left field for a hit, scoring Tyler Kapuscinski and Picone, increasing the lead to 4-0 in favor of the Red Foxes.
- Three consecutive walks by McNeill, T. Kapusincski, and Niko Amory loaded the bases with two outs in the fourth inning. A wild pitch from Manhattan's Teddy Sabato advanced the runners and scored McNeill from third, increasing the Marist lead to five runs. Picone then belted a ball into the gap in right field, allowing T. Kapuscinski and Amory to score to extend the Marist lead to 7-0.
- With one out and one batter on base in the fifth inning, Manhattan's Nick Cimillo belted a two-run home run into left field for the Jaspers' first runs of the game. Marist lead 7-2 at the end of the top half of the fifth inning.
- Manhattan's Sam Franco belted a two-run home run into deep left field with one out in the top of the seventh inning to cut the Red Fox lead down to 7-4.
- Will Van Beusekom came in to relieve Candelario in the top of the seventh inning with one out, and the first two batters he faced were put on base via hit by pitch and a walk. Richie Barella then singled into right field to score one run cutting the Red Fox lead to two runs. A walk loaded the bases for Manhattan with two outs in the inning, but Van Beusekom was able to escape the jam when Jake Knop lined out to second base to end the game as Marist won 7-5.
Marist 7, Manhattan 2
W: Keenan (2-1), L: Solimine (1-3), S: Kmietek (1)
- The Red Foxes started off game two with a walk from Ben McNeill, a hit by pitch from Tyler Kapuscinski, and a walk from Brian Hart to load the bases with no outs in the first inning. Brian Picone stepped in and dropped a ball into shallow right field to give Marist a 1-0 lead. Robbie Armitage then lined a ball into the gap in left field scoring Kapuscinski and Hart to increase the Red Fox lead to 3-0.
- Marist was able to convert two double plays early in the game, a 3-6-1 double play that ended the second inning, and a 5-4-3 double play to get two outs in the third inning.
- The Jaspers began the sixth inning with Lewi Clarke striking out but reaching first base on a wild pitch. Nick Cimillo then doubled after sending a ball down the left field line to put runners on second and third with one out. Matt Padre grounded out to third base, scoring Clarke from third to give Manhattan its first run of the game. Richie Barrella reached first on a throwing error allowing another run to score to cut the Red Fox lead down to 3-2.
- Gene Napolitano reached first on a leadoff bunt tapped down the third base line. Reece Armitage walked, followed by a Dylan Hoy bunt down the third base line that loaded the bases with no outs in the sixth inning. T. Kapuscinski was hit by a pitch, allowing Napolitano to score from third, giving the Red Foxes a two-run lead. Brian Hart then singled on a fielder's choice, scoring Armitage as Kapuscinski was tagged out, extending the Red Fox lead to 5-2.
- Conor McNamara entered the game for Jack Keenan with no outs and a man on first base. He struck out the first two batters he faced and then caused the third batter faced to ground out to shortstop to end the inning.
- Zane Kmietek relieved McNamara in the eighth inning. With runners on first and third, Kmietek struck out Jonathan Barditch to end the top half of the inning.
- Consecutive walks from T. Kapuscinski and Hart put runners on first and second with no outs in the eighth inning. Picone grounded out to the pitcher, sending runners to second and third. Robbie Armitage lined a ball up the middle into centerfield, allowing two runners to score to extend the Red Fox lead to 7-2.
- The Red Foxes recorded their third double play of the game, a 6-4-3 double play to put Manhattan down to their last out in the ninth inning, before Kmietek was able to close it out and earn the save.
- Erubiel Candelario had a phenomenal performance on the mound in game one. He struck out three batters while allowing six hits and only three earned runs over 6.1 innings pitched.
- Will Van Beusekom came in to close game one. He struck out one and allowed one run over 0.2 innings pitched.
- Brain Picone went 3 for 3 in game one with two RBIs and a double
- Matt Rubayo finished game one going 2 for 3 and led the team with three RBIs
- Jack Keenan finished game two striking out four while allowing one earned run and three hits in 6.0 innings pitched
- Conor McNamara struck out two batters over 1.1 innings pitched.
- Zane Kmietek struck out one batter while allowing two hits and no runs over 1.2 innings pitched to earn the save. It is Kmietek's second save of his career.
- Robbie Armitage led the Red Fox offense in game two, going 2 for 3 with a team-high four RBIs
Marist will stay at home and play Siena in a doubleheader on Wednesday afternoon for its home and regular season finale. First pitch will be at noon.
