OLD WESTBURY, N.Y. – In a rematch of former Skyline Conference foes, the Old Westbury Panthers defeated the Manhattanville baseball team by the score of 3-2 on Tuesday afternoon at the Jackie Robinson Athletic Complex.

Manhattanville held a 2-1 lead into the bottom of the sixth inning but the Valiants were unable to hang onto the edge as the Panthers scored two runs without a hit in the inning.

In the top of the first inning, Manhattanville got the second batter of the inning on base as sophomore Nick Euvino (Bronx, N.Y./Archbishop Stepinac) was hit by a pitch. Old Westbury starter Frank DiMaria was able to get the next two batters and stop Valiant offense.

In the bottom of the inning junior Spencer Samelson (Larchmont, N.Y./Mamaroneck) allowed a leadoff double into the left field corner and then threw a wild pitch to send the runner to third base. After getting a pair of liners for the first two outs, Samelson hit a batter before getting a groundout to end the inning.

The second innings went by with a breeze, including Samelson's three-pitch bottom half of the inning which included a fly out, a bunt groundout and a pop foul out to first base.

Manhattanville's offense got going in the top part of the third inning as senior Raul Rodriguez (Bronx, N.Y./DeWitt Clinton) led off the frame with a single deep to third base. With freshman Jordanis Nunez (Bronx, N.Y./St. Raymond) batting, Rodriguez stole second just ahead of a Nunez single to put runners on the corners. Euvino singled up the middle to bring home Rodriguez and put Manhattanville up 1-0. The next batter was senior Johnny LoVetere (Southbury, Conn./Canterbury), who grounded out to bring home Nunez and put the road team up by a pair.

Old Westbury answered back in the bottom of the third as Paul Valerio reached on a one out double, and then advanced to third on a passed ball by LoVetere. Jacob Coners grounded out to Nunez at short as the Panthers' first run crossed the plate.

Sophomore Zack Zareva (Warren, N.J./Watchung Hills Regional) came on to pitch the bottom of the fourth inning and got Peter Romeo to strike out swinging to start off his outing. Zareva got the next pair on groundouts to second baseman Kurt Hommen (Ridgewood, N.J./Ridgewood) to set the Panthers down 1-2-3 in the frame. The sophomore got through the next inning without a blemish either to send the game to the sixth inning.

In the bottom half of the sixth inning the Old Westbury bats came alive as Coners led off the frame with a walk. With the next batter trying to bunt he was hit by a pitch, then the pair of base runners stole second and third respectively. A sacrifice fly and a throwing error by Nunez led to Old Westbury taking its first lead of the game. Junior VJ Collins came on and got the next two batters to keep the Panther lead at 3-2.

In the top of the seventh inning, Manhattanville got two runners on with two down as Rodriguez and Nunez got on, but the offense was unable to get a runner across the plate as DiMaria once again got out of the threat.

The Panthers threatened again after getting two of the first three batters on against Collins to start off the bottom of the seventh. Senior Bashir Masani (Westbury, N.Y./W.T. Clarke) came on next and got Brian Walsh looking, followed by another strike out to end the threat.

Stephen Chapter came on to pitch the top of the eighth inning for Old Westbury and got the Valiants in order including a pair of strikeouts. Masani got the first out in the bottom half of the inning, graduate student Donny Pitasi (Mount Kisco, N.Y./Fox Lane) came on to the hill next and struck out the next batter via strikeout before walking Brandon Stein, who was then caught stealing by junior Elias Tsouristakis (New Rochelle, N.Y./Fordham Prep).

Samelson pitched to a no-decision after going the first three innings and allowing one run. Zareva was saddled for the loss to fall to 0-1 after yielding the go-ahead runs in the sixth inning. Collins, Masani and Pitasi closed out the game as they didn't surrender a hit over the final 2 2/3 innings.

Picking up the win was DiMaria after a seven inning outing while allowing just two runs on seven hits with six strikeouts. Chapter pitched a perfect eighth while striking out a pair, followed by Alex DiSanto picking up the save in a 1-2-3 ninth inning.

Manhattanville (5-15, 3-6 Freedom) will play their second straight Skyline Conference team tomorrow evening under the lights as the "Battle for Anderson Hill Road" makes its way to Bridgeport, Connecticut and the Ballpark at Harbor Yard against the Purchase Panthers at 7 p.m. Old Westbury (8-11, 3-1 Skyline) will return to conference play on Friday when it hosts Yeshiva for a pair beginning at 1 p.m.