PURCHASE, N.Y. – The Manhattanville baseball team lost both ends of Saturday's doubleheader to Delaware Valley on Saturday afternoon at Manhattanville Field by the scores of 8-6 and 9-5. Junior Sean Ferguson (Astoria, N.Y./Xavier) and seniors Dan Fiorito (Yonkers, N.Y./Fordham Prep) and Chris Nardozzi (Poughkeepsie, N.Y./Roy C. Ketcham) each had three hits in the combined games to lead the way for the Manhattanville offense.
In game one the Aggies touched up sophomore starter Alex Basso (Putnam Valley, N.Y./Putnam Valley) for six runs in 2 1/3 innings of work to put Delaware Valley up 6-2 after three innings of play. Manhattanville scored their pair in the bottom of the first as Fiorito singled and stole second before being driven in on a single by Nardozzi two batters later. Ferguson was up next and hit a double to deep left centerfield to chase home Nardozzi.
Senior A.J. Marini (Fair Lawn, N.J./Paramus Catholic) got out of the third inning and pitched into the fourth inning, but not without giving the Aggies another chance to score. Cory Weingart chopped a pitch to freshman second baseman Kevin Brady (Bronx, N.Y./Fordham Prep) for an infield single and moved up to second on a wild pitch. Two singles later, Weingart was crossing the plate with the Aggies' seventh run to make the score 7-2.
Marini allowed one more run in the sixth inning, sending it to the bottom of the inning with the Valiant bats ready to erupt for four runs. The Valiant rally started with a Brady single and a Nardozzi double, and Ferguson followed up with a double of his own to bring around Nardozzi and trim the lead in half at 8-4. Junior John Bucci (Port Chester, N.Y./Port Chester) singled through the left side to bring home Ferguson, and he was in turn brought around four batters later by sophomore Elias Tsouristakis (New Rochelle, N.Y./Fordham Prep) to make it 8-6.
Marini and Delaware Valley starter Chad Schmuck each pitched a scoreless seventh as the Aggies took game one of the doubleheader. Schmuck (3-2) earned the win allowing six runs on 11 hits over seven innings. Taking the loss was Basso (2-3), who allowed six runs on nine hits in 2 1/3 innings. Marini pitched the final 4 2/3, allowing a pair of runs on five hits.
In game two, the Valiants sent senior Pat Yannucci (New Hyde Park, N.Y./Sewanhaka) to the hill looking to salvage the split, but Yannucci struggled as well against the confident Aggie bunch. After Delaware Valley opened the scoring in the top of the first inning, Manhattanville tied it in the bottom of the first as Fiorito led off the frame with a single and eventually came home on a sacrifice fly by Nardozzi. In the bottom of the second, the Valiants took what proved to be their only lead of the afternoon as Bucci led off with a deep double to left centerfield and was brought in three batters later on a base hit by sophomore Hans Arias (Bronx, N.Y./St. Raymond's).
Delaware Valley scored three runs in both the third and fourth innings to take a 7-2 lead and chase Yannucci from the game. Freshman Joe Palmeri (Mastic, N.Y./Eastport/South Manor) came on in relief and got out of the fourth-inning jam while holding the Aggies in check until the top of the seventh.
The Valiants chipped away with a run in the fifth, as Brady singled and moved to third on a Nardozzi double before being brought home on a Ferguson groundout to make the score 7-3. Manhattanville pulled two runs closer in the bottom of the sixth, scoring a pair of unearned runs as both freshman Bobby Guerra (Bronx, N.Y./Arlington) and Arias reached via errors and later came around to score to pull the Valiants within two at 7-5.
Nardozzi's double in the fifth inning was the 49th of his career, surpassing the previous program record of 48 that was held by Mark Barrar '07.
In the top of the seventh, however, Delaware Valley put the game out of reach with a pair of runs off of Palmeri. Junior Don Fisher (Wappingers Falls, N.Y./Roy C. Ketcham) came on to get the final two outs of the inning. In the bottom of the seventh Manhattanville went down 1-2-3 as Bucci ended the game on a double play to erase Ferguson's one-out walk.
The pitching ledger saw Aggies starter Cody Hudnall (4-1) pick up the win, pitching a complete game while allowing five runs on eight hits. On the Manhattanville side, Yannucci (3-2) took the loss allowing seven runs on five hits in 3 1/3 innings. Palmeri pitched three-plus innings allowing a pair of runs on two hits, while Fisher got the final two outs while allowing one single.
Manhattanville (12-14, 6-9 Freedom) return to play this Tuesday when they host the College of New Jersey at 4:00 p.m. from Manhattanville Field. Delaware Valley (13-15, 5-10 Freedom) returns to play on Wednesday when they travel to Lebanon Valley at 3:30 p.m.