PURCHASE, N.Y. – The Manhattanville baseball team fought back from a 12-3 deficit to tie the game at 12 heading to the eighth inning, but fell as the Old Westbury Panthers scored three in the top of the inning before the game was called after the inning due to darkness.
Junior catcher Johnny LoVetere (Southbury, Conn./Canterbury) went 4-for-4 on the afternoon and scored a pair of runs, while senior Chris Nardozzi (Poughkeepsie, N.Y./Roy C. Ketcham) went 4-for-5 with three runs scored. Freshman Bobby Guerra (Bronx, N.Y./Arlington) went 2-for-5 and led the Valiants with three RBI on the afternoon.
Sophomore Matt Mullin (New York, N.Y./St. John's Prep) was sent to the hill to start off the game for the home team and struck out the first batter. After walking the next batter before facing Anthony Orsano who sent the 1-0 delivery over the left centerfield wall to put the Panthers up 2-0. The next batter singled and was brought around on a triple by Brian Walsh who was brought in two batters later on a base knock by Steve Mare as Old Westbury took a 4-0 lead into the second inning.
In the bottom of the second, the Manhattanville bats began their climb back into the game as junior John Bucci (Port Chester, N.Y./Port Chester) reached on an error and was bumped ahead to second on an opposite field singled by LoVetere. The next batter was Guerra who tripled down the right field line to chase home the pair of juniors and trim the lead in half. Sophomore Hans Arias (Bronx, N.Y./St. Raymond's) brought home Guerra on a sacrifice fly and made it 4-3 heading into the top of the third frame.
In the top of the third, Mullin plunked the first batter he faced before getting the second batter to fly out. Walsh who was reached on a bunt base hit to put two runners on with one down. Up next was Christopher DeGennaro who hit a ground-rule double down the right field line, Mullin got Mare to strike out but allowed singles to the next two hitters before being pulled for junior Don Fisher (Wappingers Falls, N.Y./Roy C. Ketcham). Mullin left the game down 7-3 and responsible for the two runners on base.
Old Westbury scored five more times on three more base hits, after the inning was extended on errors on each of the middle infielders as well as a pair of wild pitches by Fisher. With the score 12-3 the Valiants were in another familiar place during most of their home games in 2012 but Manhattanville refused to quit and scored in each of the next three innings to pull closer to the Panthers.
In the bottom of the third the Valiants scored five times that was started by Nardozzi and junior Sean Ferguson (Astoria, N.Y./Xavier) reaching as the first two batters. Two batters later LoVetere began a string of three base hits, followed by Guerra and Arias who pulled the ball to the left side that chased Old Westbury starter Tyler Levine from the contest. Freshman Kevin Brady (Bronx, N.Y./Fordham Prep) tripled to right centerfield to bring home two more runners as the Valiants trimmed the lead to 12-8.
Nardozzi and Ferguson started the fourth inning off in similar fashion as Nardozzi was the lone runner to score in the fourth on a base knock by Bucci. In the bottom of the fifth the Valiants added two more as Ferguson hit a two run double to chase home sophomore Elias Tsouristakis (New Rochelle, N.Y./Fordham Prep) and Nardozzi who both singled to the left side to reach base.
Fisher kept the Valiants in the game by hanging up four goose eggs on the board as he allowed the Valiants to pull to within one heading to the bottom of the seventh. Nardozzi got yet another rally started with a single and advanced to second as the right fielder overran the ball, and was then pinch ran for by freshman Nick Euvino (Elmsford, N.Y./Archbishop Stepinac). Bucci collected another clutch base hit as he chased home Euvino to tie the game at 12.
Heading to the eighth inning Manhattanville went back to the bullpen and called on freshman Zak Zareva (Warren, N.J./Watchung Hills Regional) who allowed a leadoff single, followed by the runner being moved up on a bunt. Michael Weingartner struck out but reached first on a wild pitch and was moved up to second as the throw to third base was errant and went down the leftfield line to break the tie and give Old Westbury the lead back. The Panthers scored twice more in the inning, and the Valiant bats were silenced in the bottom of the eighth as the umpires then called the game due to darkness at Manhattanville Field.
Earning the win in relief was Stephen Chapter (3-2) who pitched 1 1/3 innings in relief while allowing one hit and striking out a pair. Taking the loss was Zareva (0-1) who allowed the three Panther runs to give Old Westbury the lead back in the eighth inning. Mullin allowed nine runs on eight hits over his brief start and was helped out by Fisher who yielded three runs on seven hits in just over four innings of work.
Manhattanville (8-10, 4-5 Freedom) return to their conference schedule on Friday afternoon when they host FDU-Florham at 3:30 p.m., live stats of the game will be available on GoValiants.com. Old Westbury (18-8, 7-3 Skyline) return to action in one week when they travel to take on Lehman College in non-conference action at 7:00 p.m.