Manhattan Comes Back to Hand Baseball 13-6 Loss

(Box Score)

3/27/07 -- The Long Island University baseball team gave up nine runs over the last three innings, falling to Manhattan by a 13-6 margin at Van Cortlandt Park. The Jaspers’ four-run sixth inning erased a 6-4 Blackbird lead and dropped Long Island to 3-10 for the season. Sophomore Frank DiMasi (Staten Island, N.Y.) went 2-for-3 with a double and two RBIs. Senior Orlando Cruz (White Plains, N.Y.) also drove in a pair of runs and was 2-for-4.

Long Island took advantage of a pair of Manhattan (8-10) errors and plated a run in each of the first two innings. The Jaspers responded with four runs in the bottom half of the second. Matt Rizzotti started things off with a leadoff home run to right center, and, after an out, two walks put runners on first and second for Rene Ruiz. Ruiz laced a single to right, scoring Marc Giordano, before two consecutive balks plated Ruben Perez and Ruiz to give Manhattan a 4-2 lead.

The Blackbirds rallied in the fourth, as four runs crossed the plate. DiMasi’s one-out double brought home freshman catcher Chris Kievit (Wayne, N.J.). Three batters later, Cruz drove in junior Dan Pirillo (Marlboro, N.Y.) and senior Trey Bell (Georgetown, Del.) with a single, putting Long Island up 6-4.

Blackbirds freshman starter Adam Sauter (Perry Hall, Md.) ran into trouble in the sixth, allowing a leadoff double. Rizzotti followed with an RBI single and Sauter retired the next two batters and appeared to be finding his way out of the inning. The lefthander then allowed back-to-back singles to plate another run and tie the game. Senior Ryan Ekberg (Carmel, N.Y.) relieved Sauter and allowed two more runs.

Sauter (0-2) picked up the loss. In 5 2/3 innings, he allowed nine hits and three walks, while being charged with eight runs. Sauter fanned three batters. Mike Gazzolla (2-0) earned the win for the Jaspers.

Long Island will travel to Virginia to visit Longwood for a four-game series, which will kick off on Friday, March 30 at 2:30 p.m.