NORFOLK, VA – The Manhattan Jaspers Baseball team (3-4) split their afternoon with the Spartans of Norfolk State (2-5) after winning the first game by a score of 13-4 and falling in the second contest 11-10 inside Marty L. Miller Field on Saturday afternoon, and earn the series victory on the road.
GAME ONE: Manhattan: 13 | Norfolk State: 4
- Looking to build off its series-opening victory were the Green and White, who started rather quickly with Colin Basehore finding the gap in right field to drive home Andreaus Lewis for the game's first run.
- After the Spartans tied the game at one, Manhattan erupted from the plate with an eight-run third inning.
- Setting off the fireworks was Vincent Samuel, who continued his marquee week by driving home Guryandel Salva with yet another RBI. Then, it was Lewis who doubled to left field to drive home Samuel for the third run.
- Then, it was Justin Best who joined the party with a single through the left side to drive home Lewis. Two batters with the bases loaded, it was Hunter Sute who supplied a couple of RBIs. Three more runs would be tallied, highlighted by Salva's two-run single to drive home Dylan Mayer and Sute for a wide cushion.
- In the top of the fourth, Samuel led the inning off with a double, before Justin Best reached on a defensive error to drive home the third baseman for the team's 10th run of the game.
- The Spartans would fight back with another three runs, before the Jaspers would respond with Hunter Sute adding to his fantastic day with a single to center field to drive home Basehore.
- Manhattan added on its two final runs of the day courtesy of Lewis's two RBI single into right field to drive home Samuel and Salva.
GAME TWO: Manhattan 10 | Norfolk State: 11
- Attempting to capture the series win in commanding fashion were the Jaspers, but the Spartans had other ideas with a three-run home run in the first.
- In the top of the second, Trevor Hansen doubled to left field to drive home Jeremy Sosa, after earning a walk just two batters in.
- The Spartans widened their margin to six runs before Colin Basehore crossed the plate by virtue of a Caden Christman RBI.
- In the visiting half of the sixth with the Jaspers trailing by as much as nine, Basehore slammed a solo home run to left field to get the ball rolling on the comeback.
- With the bases loaded, Guriyandel Salva singled through the right side to drive home Christman for the team's fourth run of the game.
- Then, with the bases loaded for a second time, Vincent Samuel cleared the bases with a double to left center to bring the deficit to as little as four.
- Justin Best, then, singled to right to drive home Samuel to earn a six-run sixth and shrink the Spartans' lead to just three.
- Manhattan's bounce-back effort fell just short at the top of the seventh with Andreaus Lewis's base knock to drive home Lordier. Then, it was Trevor Hansen to bring home Jeremy Sosa for its 10th run.
STATS AND NOTES
- The Jaspers tacked on 16 hits as a unit, courtesy of Guriyandel Salva, Vincent Samuel, and Andreaus Lewis, all supplying Manhattan with three hits each. Salva crossed the plate twice and recorded one double while adding two RBIs to his ledger. Samuel crossed the plate three times, with two doubles and one RBI. Lewis also posted two doubles on the day with a team-high three RBI.
- Hunter Sute registered three RBIs on two hits and crossed the plate once.
- Colin Basehore added two hits and two runs with one RBI as the team's clean-up hitter in the second game of the series.
- Jackson Klein earned the victory with two punchouts in 14 batters faced, while surrendering two hits in three innings of work.
- In the second game, Samuel added another three RBI's on as many hits in four at-bats. Basehore and Jeremy Sosa added two hits and two runs each to their second game box score.
- Trevor Hansen joined the party with a two-RBI double with one walk earned.
- Despite logging the loss, Braeden Romero fanned four batters while walking just one in 20 batters faced.
NEXT UP:
Due to the impending Blizzard on the East Coast, the Jaspers head home and prepare for their next three-game set, beginning next Friday, February 27, when the Green and White travel to Maryland and face the Hawks of the University of Maryland Eastern Shore for a 2 p.m. first pitch at Hawk Stadium. The contest can be viewed on YouTube.
