Miami, FL (March 20, 2004) - Baeball could not hold on to the 3-2 lead in the seventh inning losing to Florida International University, 5-3 on Saturday afternoon in Miami, FL. With the loss, Manhattan falls to 4-10 on the season, while FIU improves to 14-16.
The Jaspers took a 3-0 lead in the top of the first inning. Frank Capello started off the hitting with a single to center field.
Sam Deluca then reached first base off an error on FIU's first baseman, which got Capello home.
Chris Gaskin was the next successful hitter for the Jaspers earning an RBI helping Deluca get home. The third run of the inning came when
John Fitzpatrick singled through the left side scoring Gaskin.
Manhattan kept the lead until the bottom of the sixth after letting just one hit in the first five innings. In the sixth inning, the Golden Panthers started the inning walking Eduardo Davila. Yahmed Yema singled putting runners on the corners for Jeff Skellenger. Skellenger delivered a two-RBI single through the left side to score Yema and Davila, cutting the Manhattan lead to 3-2. A groundout and a fly out end out prevented any further damage.
The rally continued in the seventh inning, sparked by a triple by Fernando Alvarez to start the inning. Alvarez came around to score on a single up the middle by Adrian Casanova to tie the contest at 3-3, which prompted the Jaspers to put
Chris Cody on the mound. Following a wild pitch and a sacrifice bunt, the Golden Panthers had runners on first and second for pinch-hitter Cody Jacobs. The freshman delivered a RBI sacrifice fly to give FIU a 4-3 lead over Manhattan. The Golden Panthers picked up an insurance run in the eighth inning to stretch the lead to 5-3. With one out, Skellenger reached base on a walk, where Dennis Diaz came into run for him. Reliever Cody nearly picked off the speedy Diaz; however, the Jaspers' first baseman throw in a run-down got away from the shortstop enabling Diaz to get to third. Back-to-back hit by pitches loaded the bases for Alvarez. The senior picked up a clutch RBI on a ground out to extend the FIU lead to 5-3.
Manhattan plays again on Wednesday, March 24 at 3pm against Lehigh in Bethlehem, PA.
