NEW ROCHELLE, NY – The Manhattan Jaspers baseball team (20-31, 10-20 MAAC) fell heartbreakingly to the Gaels of Iona University (19-28, 15-14 MAAC) by a score of 8-7 inside City Park on Saturday afternoon.

HOW IT HAPPENED

• Looking to earn the final series of the campaign, the Jaspers opened the rubber game in style with three runs crossing the plate. After Ryan Lordier worked a leadoff walk, Guriyandel Salva and Vincent Samuel both deposited singles, which allowed Lordier to score the opening run.
• On the next at-bat, Andreaus Lewis returned to the lineup and added another hit and RBI to his graduate campaign totals and drove home Salva from second.
• Then, Justin Best lined out to right field on a sacrifice fly and brought home Samuel from third.
• The Gaels responded with five runs before the Green and White responded by coming within one of the home team, courtesy of a Lewis and Best walk, before Hunter Sute loaded the bases with a single through the right side, and Hayden Jung-Goldberg reached on a fielder's choice to score Lewis from third.
• After Iona posted one more run to take a two-run advantage, the Jaspers continued to show their resiliency with a three-run sixth. Jackson Brinker battled on seven pitches and worked a leadoff walk before Lordier reached and eventually scored from Salva's single.
• Two batters later with runners on second and third, Lewis sent a fly ball into left field to drive home Samuel and tie the game at six.
• The next batter was Justin Best, who sent a double down the left field line to give the Jaspers their seventh and go-ahead run.
• Down the stretch, the Jaspers held strong, but the Gaels ultimately prevailed in the home half of the ninth with a two-run RBI walk-off down the right field line.

STATS AND NOTES

• Infielder Vincent Samuel paced the Green and White with three hits in five at-bats, crossed the plate twice, added one RBI, and struck out once.
• Catcher Andreaus Lewis registered another two-hit day in three at-bats, crossed the plate once, had two RBI's, a walk, and a strikeout in the effort against Iona.
• Outfielder Justin Best logged a 2-for-3 afternoon and provided the go-ahead double in the sixth inning. Best also added a triple, two RBIs, and a sacrifice fly to his ledger, while also posting a walk and strikeout.
• Catcher Hunter Sute posted a 2-for-4 afternoon, with one walk and two strikeouts.
• Infielder Guriyandel Salva added a 2-for-5 spot to his resume, with two runs, one RBI, one walk, and a stolen base.

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