YAPHANK, N.Y. – The Manhattanville baseball team provided plenty of power at the plate against King's (Pa.) on Saturday afternoon, as the Valiants defeated the Monarchs twice in their Freedom Conference opener by the final scores of 10-3 and 12-10 at Baseball Heaven.
 
Senior Alex Basso (Putnam Valley, N.Y./Putnam Valley) (2-0) threw his second consecutive complete game in game one while the Valiant hitters exploded for 22 combined runs in the doubleheader. Manhattanville (6-3, 2-0 Freedom) lost its previous three games before picking up the two-game sweep over King's (Pa.) (1-5, 0-2 Freedom).
 
The Valiants homered four times on Saturday, including two long balls from sophomore Chris Lattarulo (Armonk, N.Y./Byram Hills).
 
Basso made his second start of the season in game one, continuing his dominance on the mound by striking out eight batters while only allowing one earned run on four total hits in seven innings of work. The Monarchs were blanked by Basso for the first six innings until scoring three runs in the final inning of play.
 
The first runs of the game did not come until the third inning as the Valiants started to heat up at the plate. A sacrifice fly from junior Bobby Guerra (Bronx, N.Y./Arlington), scoring sophomore Jordanis Nunez (Bronx, N.Y./St. Raymond), gave Manhattanville its first run of the game. The Valiants rattled off four more runs in the third, which included a two-run single up the middle from freshman John Delahanty (Mahopac/N.Y.).
 
With a 5-0 lead headed into the fourth inning, Manhattanville sat comfortable with Basso punching out the Monarchs 1-2-3 for the next three innings. Basso gave up only one hit in the game until the seventh inning, retiring 14 straight batters at one point.
 
Manhattanville had another big inning in the sixth when the Valiants homered twice, coming off the bats of freshman Robbie Lynch (Bronx, N.Y./Fordham Prep) and Lattarulo. Lynch knocked in junior Nick Euvino (Bronx, N.Y./Archbishop Stepinac) while Lattarulo blasted a three-run pinch-hit home run, putting the Valiants up by 10.
 
Basso gave up three runs (two unearned) on two hits in the final inning as the Monarchs attempted to mount a comeback. The Valiants were able to settle down in the field, winning game one by a final score of 10-3.

The second game of the day was a very different story, as the Valiants fell behind 10-4 before scoring eight unanswered runs over the final three innings to mount an improbably comeback.

The Valiants got contributions from many players in the win, with nine different players recording at least one hit. At the top of the order, Nunez led the way going 3 for 5 with a homer, three RBIs, three runs scored and a pair of stolen bases. Freshman Joe Anselmi (North Rockland, N.Y./North Rockland) scored four times from the three spot, while Guerra and junior Kevin Brady (Bronx, N.Y./Fordham Prep) both drove in three runs apiece in the middle of the lineup. 
 
Junior Michael Lyon (North Babylon, N.Y./North Babylon) started his second game of the season in game two but struggled to find rhythm on the mound. Lyon allowed six runs on seven hits in only 1 1/3 innings before getting pulled.
 
The Valiants began game two with a bang as Nunez cranked a solo home run to lead off the game. Manhattanville scored another run on a fielder's choice from Brady as the Valiants would take a 2-0 lead into the bottom of the first.
 
King's (Pa.) quickly answered the Valiant offense with a five-run rally in the first, capped by a two-run single by Stephen Brynock. Manhattanville was silenced in the second while the Monarchs continued to score runs. After two innings, Manhattanville trailed the Monarchs by a score of 7-2.
 
Down by five runs, the Valiants cut their deficit in the third. Both Guerra and Brady contributed an RBI to start the comeback, getting two runs back on the scoreboard. Guerra, Brady and Nunez combined for nine RBIs in game two.
 
After an RBI double by Joe Zito and a two-run homerun by Anthony Lizzi in the fourth, the Monarchs took a 10-4 lead over the Valiants. Headed into the fifth, Brady came through again for Manhattanville, knocking in Anselmi on a ground-rule double. Down 10-5 in the sixth, Guerra manufactured a two-run double toward right center, pulling the Valiants within three.
 
With only one more inning to play, Manhattanville needed a big inning in the top half of the seventh. Lattarulo started off the inning by belting a solo homer to left field for his second of the day, pulling the Valiants within two runs. Both Euvino and junior Nate Trashansky (Babylon, N.Y./North Babylon) reached base safely on singles before Nunez knocked them in with a base hit, tying the game at 10 with still only one out in the seventh.
 
Nunez proved to be a threat on the base paths as well, as he stole both second and third base before scoring on a throwing error, giving the Valiants an 11-10 lead. Guerra gave Manhattanville an insurance run on a single to shortstop as the Valiants headed into the bottom of the seventh up 12-10.
 
Junior Joe Palmeri (Mastic, N.Y./Eastport/South Manor) came into the seventh for his third inning of work and was able to shut down the Monarchs in dramatic fashion. King's (Pa.) had two runners on with two outs before Brady came up clutch at first base, ending the game on a diving play and leading Manhattanville to the 12-10 victory. Palmeri (1-0) came up big for the Valiants on the mound, tossing three scoreless innings to earn his first victory of the season.
 
The Valiants will take on non-conference foe SUNY Purchase on Tuesday at 3:30 in the annual battle of Anderson Hill Road. Live stats can be found through GoValiants.com.