PURCHASE, NY – The Manhatanville College baseball team split a Middle Atlantic Conference (MAC) Freedom doubleheader against the Eastern University Eagles Sunday, March 17 from the Purchase College baseball field, dropping game one 4-3 before bouncing back and winning game two in walk-off fashion 6-5.
The game two walk-off marked 300 victories at Manhattanville for head coach Jeff Caulfield, who's led the program since 2005.
Junior Matt Lynch (Wappingers Falls, N.Y./Roy C. Ketcham) finished the doubleheader 3-for-5 with two runs scored and three RBI's, senior Kieran Corrigan (Mahopac, N.Y./Mahopac) went 2-for-3 with three RBI's in the game two win and fellow senior Luke Scoggins (Merrick, N.Y./Sanford H. Calhoun) went 2-for-4 in game two, including the walk-off double for Manhattanville (4-4, 1-1 MACF). Jordan Laboy went 4-for-5 with three runs scored and three RBI's, including a home run, on the day for Eastern (2-9, 1-1 MACF).
GAME ONE: The Eagles got on the board in the first without getting the ball out of the infield. Britton Lawrence reached on an error, took second on a passed ball, stole third, then scored on an infield single.
The Valiants got the run right back in the bottom half of the frame when Lynch single, stole second, then scored on a double to right center by sophomore Jack Matero (Hopewell Junction, N.Y./John Jay).
The game remained tied into the fifth until Laboy led off the inning with a home run after a long at-bat, fouling off numerous pitches from freshman Alby Ciuffetelli (Mahopac, N.Y./Yorktown).
In the top of the seventh, Eastern added two runs that proved all the more pivotal a few minutes later when the Valiants answered with two of their own on an RBI double by freshman Tyler Viscusi (Wappingers Falls, N.Y./Roy C. Ketcham) and a sacrifice fly from Lynch. Jacob Breyer stranded Vicusi, representing the tying run, at second to end the game.
GAME TWO: Eastern led 4-0 entering the bottom of the second, but an RBI double by Corrigan and another sacrifice fly by Lynch halved the deficit to 4-2.
With the score still 4-2 in the bottom of the fourth, Corrigan tied the game with a 2-RBI double into the left field corner and Lynch untied the game, plating Corrigan with a triple to dead center.
Brad Clemens tied the game with an RBI groundout in the top of the sixth and the score remained tied heading to the bottom of the seventh.
After Lynch led off with a single to center, Scoggins stepped up and sent one the opposite way. The ball landed on the turf field and skipped past left fielder Brady DiGiacomo, rolling all the way to the wall. Lynch flew around the bases and slid head-first into home plate, igniting a raucous celebration on the field, both at the plate and second base.
The Valiants next scheduled game will feature a trip south Tuesday, March 19 for a 4:30 non-conference contest with the Red Hawks of Montclair State University.