FAIRFIELD, CT - The Manhattan College baseball team defeated Fairfield University, 12-7, in its regular season finale in the third game of a MAAC series on Saturday afternoon at Alumni Diamond. With the win, Manhattan (25-24, 15-10 MAAC) advances to the 2003 MAAC Tournament next weekend at Dutchess Stadium in Fishkill, NY. This is the first time in Jasper history that the baseball team has made the MAAC playoffs.
The two teams would combine for 19 runs on 26 basehits but the Jaspers never trailed in the game. After a scoreless first inning,
Frank Cappello got the Jaspers on the board with his first career homerun, a two-run shot to left-center, which put the Jaspers up 2-0. Fairfield tied it up in the bottom of the inning on a two-run homerun by Sal Mancuso.
In the top of the third the Jaspers added three more runs on five basehits. With the bases loaded and nobody out,
Eric Fierro drove in Maser with a sacrifice fly to right to regain the lead for the Jaspers. The Greco delivered a two-run single, which scored
Gary Diaz and
Jonathan Holzer.
After a scoreless fourth, Manhattan plated two runs in the fifth and three more in the sixth to take a commanding 10-3 lead. Greco and
Chris Gaskin drove in runs in the fifth. Fierro had a bases-clearing double in the sixth to bring around three runs.
Manhattan tacked on two more runs in the top of the ninth on an RBI-single by Greco and a run-scoring double by
Frank Cappello to cap the scoring.
In the bottom of the ninth, relief pitcher
Steve Bronder retired the first two batters on fly balls. Barnett then doubled and Mancuso walked to put runners at first and second. But Bronder got Anderson on a grounder to Cappello, who stepped on third for the final out of the game.
Greco led the Jaspers at the plate going 3-for-5 with four RBI and a run scored. Fierro also had four RBI going 2-for-3 with two runs scored. Manhattan starter
Mike Parisi would collect the win scattering five runs on seven hits and three walks in six innings of work. Parisi struck out seven Stags on the afternoon.
Manhattan, the No. 4 seed in the MAAC Tournament, will take on top-seeded LeMoyne College at 3:00 PM on Thursday May 22 at Dutchess Stadium in Fishkill, NY.
