MYRTLE BEACH, S.C. – The Manhattanville baseball team swept a pair of games from the Dolphins of Mount St. Vincent on Saturday afternoon by the scores of 8-4 and 6-4. In the two games senior Sean Ferguson (Astoria, N.Y./Xavier) had six hits and two RBI, while sophomore Kevin Brady (Bronx, N.Y./Fordham Prep) had six RBI day, including five in the first game.
 
In the opener, junior Alex Basso (Putnam Valley, N.Y./Putnam Valley) took to the hill for his first start of the season, going five innings, while allowing a run on three hits with two walks and five strikeouts. Graduate Donny Pitasi (Mount Kisco, N.Y./Fox Lane) came on in the sixth and went 1 1/3 innings including a pair of strikeouts. Sophomore Brian Lobel (Purchase, N.Y./Harrison) came on to get the final two outs in the top of the seventh inning.
 
At the plate, Manhattanville put a two-spot on the board in the bottom of the first inning as Ferguson laced a double to left-centerfield to chase home sophomore Bobby Guerra (Bronx, N.Y./Arlington) as well as Brady.
 
In the bottom of the second, the Valiants got two more runs as freshman Kurt Hommen (Ridgewood, N.J./Ridgewood) and senior Johnny LoVetere (Southbury, Conn./Canterbury) reached via walk. Brady was up next and picked up his first two RBI of the game with a double to centerfield.
 
After Basso allowed his only run in the top of the fifth inning, the Valiants answered right back as Guerra and Ferguson reached with two outs. A balk by starter Rich Dionsio brought home Guerra, who had stole third earlier in the at bat.
 
With the score at 5-1, Manhattanville loaded the bases in the bottom of the sixth inning as sophomore Nick Euvino (Bronx, N.Y./Archbishop Stepinac) reached on a bunt single and promptly stole second and third, after Hommen and LoVetere worked walks to load the bases, Brady came up and doubled to centerfield to empty the bases and give the Valiants an 8-1 lead.
 
The Dolphins tacked on three runs in the top of the seventh inning with a bases clearing double of their own, but Lobel was able to shut the door and end the game for the Valiants.
 
In game two, the Valiants sent Joe Pareres (Bronxville, N.Y./Fordham Prep) to the mound for his first start in the crimson and white. Pareres allowed a run in the first inning, but got out of any further trouble and allowed the Valiant offense to go to work in the top of the second.
 
After Ferguson, senior John Bucci (Port Chester, N.Y./Port Chester) and junior Hans Arias (Bronx, N.Y./St. Raymond) all reached via single to load the bases, freshman Jordanis Nunez (Bronx, N.Y./St. Raymond) was up with a clutch situation to put the Valiants up. Nunez singled to centerfield to put Manhattanville up by a one at 2-1 and set the offense up for more.
 
The next batter was junior Elias Tsouristakis (New Rochelle, N.Y./Fordham Prep), who bunted Arias and Nunez to second and third respectively. Euvino was up next and also bunted, which chased Arias home from third to put Manhattanville up a pair. LoVetere then came up and put a single on the board to bring around Nunez and give the Valiants a 4-1 lead.
 
The top of the fourth saw the Valiants tack on an insurance run as Brady picked up his sixth RBI of the day by way of the sacrifice fly to send home Nunez, who doubled to lead off the inning. Tsouristakis put another run on the board to bring around Ferguson and give the Valiants a five-run lead in the top of the fifth inning.
 
In the bottom of the sixth, Pareres worked his way into trouble as the first two batters of the inning reached, but he nearly got out of it after retiring the next two hitters. A base knock by Steven Giustino put the second run on the board for the Dolphins, and also chased Pareres from the game.
 
Freshman Julian Ponce (Port Chester, N.Y./Archbishop Stepinac) came on to pitch, and allowed the next batter to reach to load the bases. Up next was leadoff hitter Keith Schroeher, who singled to center to chase home two more for Mount St. Vincent and pull the team back within two. Ponce then bared down and got the next batter to fly out and keep the Valiant lead at 6-4.
 
Sophomore Joe Palmeri (Mastic, N.Y./Eastport/South Manor) came on to close out the game getting the Dolphins 1-2-3 in the bottom of the seventh to give the Valiants their second win of the day and the season, while picking up his first save of the year in the process.
 
Manhattanville (2-1) will return to the field on Sunday afternoon for a doubleheader against Manchester beginning at 12 p.m. Mount St. Vincent (0-6) will take on Johnson & Wales on Sunday before returning to New York later in the afternoon.