Baseball Leaves Nine Stranded, Falls to Manhattan

(box score)
3/14/06 -– The Long Island University baseball team continued its struggles in the Papa John Baseball Classic, dropping its fourth straight to Manhattan, 14-2, in West Palm Beach, Fla.

Sophomore Dan Pirillo (Marlboro, N.Y) tallied two hits and a run for the Blackbirds (1-5-1) while junior Robert Rowen (Rosendale, N.Y.) added an RBI single.

The Jaspers scored the first two runs of the game in the bottom half of the first on a two-out, bases-loaded single by Ruben Perez. Manhattan tacked on another run in the second to build its lead to 3-0.

An RBI single by Rowen in the top of the third scored Pirillo and cut the Blackbirds deficit to two. But it was as close as LIU would get as the Jaspers scored four runs in the fourth and three more in the fifth to take control.

A fielder’s choice by senior Sean Durkin scored Bryan Burke for the Blackbirds final run. LIU was outhit, 13-6, and left nine runners on base.
Senior Matt Bunyan suffered the loss, allowing seven runs over four innings.

The Blackbirds will conclude their spring trip to Florida on Wednesday, Mar. 15 as they take on Maine at 7:00 p.m.