QUAKERTOWN, Pa. – The Manhattanville baseball team was eliminated from the Freedom Conference Tournament by the Misericordia Cougars on Saturday evening by the final score of 10-6. The game was a back and forth affair between the same two teams that competed a day earlier in a low scoring extra-inning affair.

Manhattanville as the road team jumped out to a quick 2-0 lead in the top of the first inning against Misericordia starter Will Minderjahn as senior Johnny LoVetere (Southbury, Conn./Canterbury) singled with one out. Up next was senior Sean Ferguson (Astoria, N.Y./Xavier), who sent a long drive into the right centerfield gap to plate LoVetere with the opening run. Ferguson, who had reached third, came home on a sacrifice fly by the next batter to put the Valiants up a pair.

In the bottom of the first, the Cougars stormed right back as the first two batters walked and singled against Manhattanville junior Spencer Samelson (Larchmont, N.Y./Mamaroneck). After getting the first out, Kenny Durling stepped up to the plate and sent the first pitch over the left field fence and off the scoreboard. The next three batters reached, but Samelson got a groundout and a strikeout to end the inning.

Both pitchers settled down in the second frame and exchanged scoreless innings with the Cougars holding onto their one-run lead.

In the top of the third, the Valiants knotted the game at three after freshman Jordanis Nunez (Bronx, N.Y./St. Raymond) walked to lead off the inning. LoVetere bunted Nunez to second, who then stole third base carrying the tying run. Sophomore Bobby Guerra (Bronx, N.Y./Arlington) grounded out and allowed Nunez to score to make the game a three-all contest. Manhattanville continued to threaten in the inning, but were unable to break the deadlock.

The bottom of the third saw the home plate umpire overrule a call made by the third base umpire, allowing Durling to single over the third base bag. Samelson got the next two batters, but loaded the bases with the next two at the dish, before walking the next batter to force home a run. A misplay in the field cost the Valiants two more runs as the Cougars took a 6-3 lead.

The Cougars plated two more runs in the bottom of the fourth and in the process chased Samelson from the game and bring on junior Joe Pareres (Bronxville, N.Y./Fordham Prep).

Manhattanville put together another rally of its own in the top of the fifth as LoVetere reached on a one out single to centerfield. Ferguson and Guerra followed up with base knocks up the middle to plate another Valiant run. After an unknown delay caused by Misericordia, in attempts to stop Manhattanville's momentum sophomore Kevin Brady (Bronx, N.Y./Fordham Prep) grounded out to make it a three-run game.

Misericordia tacked on an additional run in the fifth inning off of Pareres, but the junior right-hander allowed nothing further as he also pitched a scoreless sixth inning. He allowed the first two batters to reach in the seventh and was pulled in favor of sophomore Joe Palmeri (Mastic, N.Y./Eastport/South Manor). The next batter lined out to a diving Nick Euvino (Bronx, N.Y./Archbishop Stepinac) in centerfield, followed by a fielding error that allowed the 10th Cougar run to score.

In the top of the ninth inning, Ferguson hit a solo home run to left centerfield into the parking lot of Quakertown Memorial Stadium as it capped off the offensive portion of Manhattanville's game. Max Weintraub finished off the game, as he pitched four innings and allowing just the Ferguson long ball to pick up the save.

Picking up the win was Minderjahn (5-0) after five innings and allowing five runs on six hits and a walk while striking out three. Weintraub picked up his first save as he scattered four hits and a run over his four innings. Taking the loss was Samelson (0-3) after allowing four earned runs on four hits. Pareres pitched the next three innings allowing one earned run, while Palmeri closed out the game going the final two innings.

Manhattanville ends its season with a 14-29 record and will look ahead to the 2014 season. Misericordia (34-9) advances to the championship round on Sunday and will need a pair of victories over DeSales to clinch the championship, a task the team completed in 2012.