KINGSTON, Pa. – The Manhattanville baseball team had its highest offensive output of the season with 13 runs including a six-run third inning, but it wasn't enough as the Wilkes Colonels scored four times in the bottom of the eighth to come away with a 17-13 victory on Friday afternoon.
 
The game started off with Manhattanville getting two of the first three hitters on base, but were unable to do anything against Colonel starter Adam Misiura. In the bottom half of the inning, Wilkes brought four players around off of Valiant junior starter Joe Pareres (Bronxville, N.Y./Fordham Prep) and took the 4-0 lead into the third inning.
 
Then it was Manhattanville's turn to take the lead as sophomore Nick Euvino (Bronx, N.Y./Archbishop Stepinac) got the inning started with a leadoff triple to right centerfield. Senior Johnny LoVetere (Southbury, Conn./Canterbury) brought Euvino home with a base knock, followed by classmate Sean Ferguson (Astoria, N.Y./Xavier) singling to put a pair of runners on base. Up next was sophomore Bobby Guerra (Bronx, N.Y./Arlington), who tripled to chase home the pair of seniors and trim Wilkes' lead to one.

Sophomore Kevin Brady (Bronx, N.Y./Fordham Prep) was up next and reached base by way of an error that also brought Guerra home to tie the game. Two batters later junior Elias Tsouristakis (New Rochelle, N.Y./Fordham Prep) hit a single up the middle, which brought up junior Hans Arias (Bronx, N.Y./St. Raymond), who hit his first home run of the season and third of his career to put the Valiants up by a 6-4 mark.
 
Wilkes chipped away with a run in the bottom half of the inning off of junior Spencer Samelson (Larchmont, N.Y./Mamaroneck), who had come on with one out in the second inning. The Colonels also made an early pitching change as they brought on A.J. Mihaly in the fourth, and got out of the inning with ease.
 
The fifth inning was not as fortunate to Mihaly, as Guerra doubled down the left field line and was later chased home by Brady with a single as Manhattanville regained its two-run lead.

Samelson ran into trouble in the bottom of the fifth inning as he allowed four of the first six batters to reach, while in the process allowing three earned runs in the process. Graduate student Donny Pitasi (Mount Kisco, N.Y./Fox Lane) came on in relief and was unable to retire a batter as he allowed three hits and a walk, while hitting a batter before being pulled for sophomore Zack Zareva (Warren, N.J./Watchung Hills Regional), who struck out the first man he faced to put an end to Wilkes' seven-run outburst.
 
Down by five, Manhattanville tacked on two more runs in the top of the sixth as Ferguson picked up a sac fly RBI, and Guerra brought home Euvino with a base hit to make the score 13-9 in favor of the Colonels. Zareva pitched himself into a bases loaded jam in the bottom of the inning, but was able to get out of the situation by retiring the next two without allowing a run.
 
Manhattanville regained the lead in the top of the seventh inning after senior John Bucci (Port Chester, N.Y./Port Chester) and Tsouristakis got the rally started by getting on base. Up next was Arias, who singled to drive home Bucci and pull the Valiants back within two at 12-10. Freshman Jordanis Nunez (Bronx, N.Y./St. Raymond) replaced Arias on a fielder's choice just ahead of Euvino, who smacked his second triple of the day to tie the game. With two down, LoVetere dropped down a bunt and executed to perfection as Euvino scored from third and put Manhattanville ahead once again.
 
After putting the first two batters on in the bottom of the seventh, Zareva was pulled for junior Ryan Blinderman (Fairfield, Conn./Fairfield Warde). The sidearm pitcher got three outs but did allow an inherited runner to score to tie the game once again at 13-13 with the game heading to the eighth.
 
The Valiants had a golden opportunity to score off of newly entered Tom Ring, as Manhattanville loaded the bases with one out after Brady, Bucci and Tsouristakis all reached. However, Ring got a much-needed ground ball for a twin-killing and kept the game knotted to give his team a chance in the next half inning.
 
Sophomore Joe Palmeri (Mastic, N.Y./Eastport/South Manor) was the next man to the mound for Manhattanville and allowed a leadoff single. The next batter bunted the go-ahead run to second, followed by a groundout which sent the runner to third. Up next was Scott Skammer, who doubled to give his squad the lead back at 14-13. The next three reached by way of intentional walk, double and single as Wilkes tacked on insurance runs and opened up a 17-13 edge.
 
The Valiant bats were unable to get a large enough rally going in the top of the ninth as Ring worked around a one out hit batter to end the ballgame.
 
Earning the win in relief was Ring (1-0) after going the final two innings, while allowing just one hit. Taking the loss was Palmeri (0-1) after allowing four runs on four hits in the bottom of the eighth inning.
 
Manhattanville (6-16, 3-7 Freedom) and Wilkes (11-7, 3-5 Freedom) will look to keep their offenses firing tomorrow afternoon in Purchase, N.Y. as the series shifts to Manhattanville Field for a doubleheader slated for 1 p.m.