Jaspers Split On Final Day of Panther Classic

Manhattan-Youngstown State Box Score

Manhattan-Pittsburgh Box Score 

PITTSBURGH, Pa. - For the second straight day, the Manhattan College baseball team played a doubleheader against Youngstown State and host Pittsburgh at the Panther Classic on Sunday afternoon.  And for the second straight day, the Jaspers (3-8) split the two games, knocking off the Penguins (3-14) 6-1 before dropping a 9-3 decision to the Panthers (8-4) at Cost Field.

Against Youngstown State, the Jaspers got on the board right away, plating a run in the top of the first.  After a two-out single by Ramon Ortega (Miami, Fla.), Brendan Slattery (Danbury, Conn.) ripped an RBI double to center field that gave Manhattan a 1-0 lead.  That advantage would be short-lived, however, as the Penguins responded with a run of their own in the bottom half of the inning.

Slattery was in the middle of another Manhattan rally in the top of the third.  After Aidan John O'Leary (Portsmouth, N.H.) and Ortega singled, Slattery connected for his second straight RBI double, putting the Jaspers back in front 2-1.  Ortega then came around on a sacrifice fly by Kyle Murphy (Waterbury, Conn.).  It would remain 3-1 behind the solid pitching of Matt Jordan (Kingston, N.Y.).  Jordan gave up three singles in the fourth, but Youngstown State failed to score, and he struck out Mike Accardi to end the inning.

The Jaspers plated another run in the seventh, as Slattery walked leading off the inning, moved to second on a sacrifice, and scored on Chris Kalousdian's (Kings Park, N.Y.) double to center.  O'Leary knocked in Yoandry Galan (Miami, Fla.) with a single in the eighth, while Slattery and Kalousdian were at the heart of another rally in the top of the ninth.  Slattery smacked a leadoff single, then moved all the way to third on an error.  Kalousdian later lifted a sacrifice fly to right field that brought Slattery home.

Slattery reached base four times in the contest, going 3-for-4 with a walk.  He added two RBIs and scored twice.  Ortega went 3-for-5 with two runs scored, while O'Leary and Nick Camastro (Lagrangeville, N.Y.) each contributed two hits, as well.  Despite entering the game in the seventh, Kalousdian ended up 1-for-1 with two RBIs.  As a team, Manhattan collected 12 hits in the contest.  Jordan (2-2) earned the win after tossing six solid innings on the mound.  He gave up just one run and scattered nine hits, struck out six and walked two.  Chris Liquori (Wyckoff, N.J.) and Sean Abbate (Levittown, N.Y.) combined for three innings of scoreless relief.

Youngstown State tallied 12 hits in the game, led by Marcus Heath's 3-for-5 effort.  Heath also drove in a run.  Kris Moules, Phil Lipari and Devin Higgins each added two hits for the Penguins.  Ryan Krokos (0-2) took the loss after allowing three runs on seven hits while striking out two and walking two in five innings of work.  Jared Wright hurled four innings of relief, giving up three runs on five hits, striking out five and walking two.

After a scoreless first inning against Pittsburgh, the Panthers notched two runs in the second and four more in the third.  Steven Shelinsky, Jr.'s RBI triple was the big blow in the second inning, while Casey Roche hit a two-run homer and Elvin Soto added a two-run triple in the third.

Manhattan scored an unearned tally in the top of the fifth.  Joe McClennan (Highland Mills, N.Y.) reached on an error with two out, and Galan followed with an RBI single that made it 6-1 in favor of the Panthers.  The Jaspers took advantage of poor Pittsburgh defense again in the seventh.  Christian Santisteban (Miami, Fla.) and Joe Rock (Carmel, N.Y.) each reached on an error to start the inning, giving Manhattan runners on first and third with nobody out.  Matt Troisi (Brooklyn, N.Y.) was up next and he grounded into a double play, scoring Santisteban.  After the third Pittsburgh error of the inning put Joe McClennan on base, Galan roped a double to left.  However, Camastro grounded out to end the threat.

Pittsburgh countered with a two-spot in the bottom half of the inning.  The Panthers then added an insurance tally in the eighth to make it 9-2.  Andrew Gorecki (Smithtown, N.Y.) smashed a pinch-hit home run to right leading off the ninth, and Troisi followed with a single.  After an infield single by Joe McClennan, Camastro drew a walk to load the bases.  However, O'Leary grounded into a double play to end the rally and give the Panthers a 9-3 victory.

Six different Jaspers had at least one hit against Pittsburgh, as Galan was the only Manhattan player with a multi-hit game.  He went 2-for-4 with an RBI.  Scott McClennan (Highland Mills, N.Y.) (0-1) started and took the loss.  He surrendered eight runs on nine hits, struck out five and walked one.  Casey Meyers (Brookside, N.J.), Kevin Bonanni (Plainview, N.Y.) and Jacob Marchus (Miami, Fla.) combined to pitch the final two frames.

For Pittsburgh, Eric Hess was 4-for-4 with two runs scored.  Roche drove in a pair of runs and scored twice, while Soto and Shelinsky both added two RBIs.  Sam Parente crossed the plate twice for the Panthers.  Rhys Aldenhoven (2-0) scattered four hits and surrendered just two unearned runs over eight innings.  He struck out five and walked one.  Jimmy Devine pitched the ninth, giving up one run on three hits while walking one.