Manhattan University Athletics

Miami, Fla. (March 14, 2007)- Upperclassmen Nick Derba and Dom Lombardi combined for five RBI, and freshmen Zac Goyer, Brian Pendergast and Tom Moran supplied the pitching, as Manhattan won a hard-fought, 9-8, game at Florida International to take both games of the two-game set for the first time in the four-year history of the annual series.

Manhattan put together a two out rally in the top of the third to start the scoring.  Eric Nieto came to the plate with none on and no out and singled the first pitch he saw up the middle.  Nieto promptly stole second before, on a full count, Dom Lombardi singled up the middle to score Nieto and provide the Jaspers with a 1-0 lead.

Florida International scored two unearned runs in the bottom of the frame and two more on consecutive RBI singles in the fourth to take a 4-1 lead into the top of the fifth.

That lead proved to short-lived as the Manhattan offense would explode for six runs in the top of the fifth.  Nunzio Franzese started things off with a leadoff double down the left field line.  Ryan Masters followed with a single down the right field line, putting runners on the corners.  Rene Ruiz then made it three straight Manhattan hits to begin the inning, doubling to right field on the first pitch he saw to chase home Franzese.  Eric Nieto walked to load the bases before the Panthers made a pitching change.  Masters and Ruiz scampered home on a fielder's choice off the bat of Lombardi, and, after an out and a pitching change, Nick Derba continued his recent offensive success, blasting a two-run home run to complete the six run inning, giving Manhattan a 7-4 lead.

The teams traded single runs in the sixth, with the Jaspers using a single, a sacrifice, and a Lombardi RBI single to score their run, with the Florida International run was unearned.

A three-run home run in the home half of the seventh inning evened the score at 8-8, but Manhattan would regain the lead in the top of the eighth.  Franzese singled to lead off the inning, and, two bunts later, was standing at third base.  During the ensuing at bat, Franzese would streak home on wild pitch to score the decisive run.

Florida International threatened in the eighth, putting runners on first and second with no outs.  At that point head coach Kevin Leighton went to Tom Moran.  On the first pitch when play resumed, the Panther batter popped up his sacrifice bunt attempt to Moran keeping the runners in place while recording the first out of the inning.  The next batter grounded out but moved up the runners, before, after an intentional walk to load the bases, Moran got a fly out to right to end the threat and the inning.  Moran threw four pitches in the ninth, as the first batter hit a comebacker that Moran handled on a 0-2 count for the first out before the next two batters swung at the first pitch.  Neither ball left the infield as the Jaspers posted the win and the series sweep.

Derba and Lombardi carried the biggest bats on offense for Manhattan, as Lombardi went 2-5 with three RBI and one run, and Derba went 2-3 with a big two-run homer in the fifth.

Brian Pendergast earned his first collegiate win, working 3.2 innings of relief, striking out three.  Moran, who collected his first collegiate win in his last outing, added his first collegiate save to his mantle, twirling no-run, no-hit ball over the final two innings.

The Jaspers return to the diamond on Friday, March 16, as they begin play in the Palm Beach Challenge, taking on NJIT at 3:15 p.m.