WILKES-BARRE, Pa. – Senior shortstop Dan Fiorito (Yonkers, N.Y./Fordham Prep) went deep once during game one and twice more in the back end of Manhattanville's doubleheader sweep over the Wilkes Colonels on Sunday afternoon. In game one the Valiants won by a score of 6-5, and won game two by the score 10-6 in a five inning contest that was stopped short by rain.
Fiorito finished the day with four runs batted in while 4-for-7 at the plate. Sean Ferguson (Astoria, N.Y./Xavier) had a successful day at the plate as well, going 4-for-7 with four runs batted in over the doubleheader; all four of the junior's hits were extra base hits as he fell just a single shy of hitting for the cycle on the afternoon.
In the opener the Valiants sent sophomore Alex Basso (Putnam Valley, N.Y./Putnam Valley) to the hill in search of his second win of the year, and started the game off well allowing only a pair of walks and a pair of singles to hold to Colonels off the board over the first three innings.
The Valiant bats got to work in the top of the second inning after junior Johnny LoVetere (Southbury, Conn./Canterbury) reached on a one out walk and was moved up to second by freshman Bobby Guerra (Bronx, N.Y./Arlington) who singled. Sophomore Hans Arias (Bronx, N.Y./St. Raymond's) was up next and doubled to bring home the first run. In the bottom of the third, Fiorito was up first and launched his first home run of the day to left field to give the Valiants a 2-0 lead heading to the fourth inning.
Wilkes manufactured a run on a sacrifice fly in the bottom of the fourth inning to trim the lead in half. Manhattanville answered back with a run of their own as Fiorito started up the offense again with a double and was brought around on a single by senior Chris Nardozzi (Poughkeepsie, N.Y./Roy C. Ketcham).
Manhattanville yielded another run to the Colonels in the bottom of the sixth before coming up to hit in their half of the seventh inning. Fiorito got the rally started again with a one out walk followed by Nardozzi reaching on an error by the second baseman, junior Sean Ferguson (Astoria, N.Y./Xavier) plated the two seniors with a triple to centerfield who was then brought in himself by a single from classmate John Bucci (Port Chester, N.Y./Port Chester) who made the score 6-2.
Basso continued into the seventh looking to finish off what he started and got the first out quickly but allowed the next three batters to reach via double, walk and single. The next man up for Wilkes was catcher Tyler Marino who hit a triple to right field to bring home two more runs and make the score 6-5. Basso was then pulled in favor of senior A.J. Marini (Fair Lawn, N.J./Paramus Catholic) who pitched the Valiants out of trouble with the tying run on third base to clinch the victory for Manhattanville.
Earning the win in the opener was Basso who improved to 2-1 on the year after allowing five runs on nine hits, while falling two batters shy of the complete game. Marini picked up his first save of the year by gathering the final two outs of the contest. Taking the loss was Eric Bidwell who allowed the go ahead run in relief of Ryan Fetterman who pitched the first six runs allowing three runs on eight hits.
In game two Manhattanville got right back to work offensively in the top of the first as Fiorito and Nardozzi reached with Fiorito being brought in on another extra base hit by Ferguson. Two batters later, LoVetere doubled to left field to bring around Nardozzi and Ferguson to make it 3-0 heading to the home half of the first.
On the mound for the Valiants was senior Pat Yannucci (New Hyde Park, N.Y./Sewanhaka) who allowed two runs on four hits in the opening frame as Wilkes kept it close after one inning of play.
In the bottom of the first, freshman Nick Euvino (Elmsford, N.Y./Archbishop Stepinac) got things started with a two out single and then promptly stole second with classmate Kevin Brady (Bronx, N.Y./Fordham Prep) at the dish who singled to right field to chase home Manhattanville's fourth run. Fiorito was up again and homered for the second time on the day to centerfield as he made the score 6-2.
Wilkes responded with their first home run of the day in the bottom of the second, but the Valiants answered right back with a pair of runs as Arias and Euvino collected an RBI each in the frame. Yannucci allowed his second homer of the afternoon in the bottom of the third as Wilkes closed the gap to 8-5 heading to the fourth.
Ferguson got in on the home run derby with his second blast of the season to make it 9-5. Yannucci worked in and out of trouble in the fourth and got the game to the fifth inning that saw Fiorito come up with none on and two down as he then turned on a pitch and sent it sailing over the left centerfield wall for his third blast of the day as Manhattanville worked their way up to a 10-5 lead.
With the rain beginning to fall, Yannucci and the Valiants needed to get through the bottom of the fifth to make it an official game and got the first two batters quickly. He hit Joel Watson with a pitch who was then doubled around by Tay Sidler to make it 10-6; he hit Scott Skammer with a pitch before finally getting out of the frame with a groundout.
After a brief rain delay the umpires decided to call the game and give the Valiants their second win of the afternoon. Earning the complete game victory was Yannucci who allowed six runs on nine hits over five innings of work. Taking the loss was Zach Lazar who allowed nine runs on thirteen hits over 3 2/3 innings, Marc Perry pitched the final 1 1/3 innings and allowed Fiorito's third home run.
Manhattanville (8-8, 4-5 Freedom) will return home to make up Sunday's originally scheduled game against the Alvernia Crusaders on Monday afternoon with the first pitch set for 3:30 p.m. Wilkes (9-14, 2-7 Freedom) will also take on a Commonwealth Conference opponent when they travel to Lebanon Valley on Tuesday afternoon for a date with the Dutchmen at 3:30 p.m.