Monmouth Defeats Manhattan 8-7 In 15-Inning Marathon
MAAC Sports
LAKEWOOD, N.J. – Junior catcher Kyle Perry’s high chopping base hit to the left side of the infield scored Joe Bamford with the winning run in the bottom of the 15th inning as No. 5 seed Monmouth University defeated sixth-seeded Manhattan College 8-7 on Friday (May 23) in the initial elimination bracket game of the 2014 Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference Baseball Championship at FirstEnergy Park.
The final came nearly 14 hours after the game was suspended due to fog on Thursday (May 22) at 10:30 p.m. with the score tied 6-6 after nine complete innings. The game began at 7:00 p.m.
Monmouth (23-24) will now move on to face No 4 seed Quinnipiac after approximately 30 minutes in a re-match of an opening round Championship game. The Bobcats defeated the Hawks 4-0 in Game 2 of the tournament.
The Jaspers, who earned a spot in the MAAC Baseball Championship with a late-season surge by winning seven of their final nine league games, concluded their season at 17-33.
After Danny Avella grounded out to second to open the bottom of the 15th for the Hawks, Bamford reached on a walk. He advanced to second on Jon Guida’s single, and moved to third on a wild pitch to set the stage for Perry’s heroics.
Perry, a local product from Toms River South, made the most of his homecoming with his fourth hit of the game. Bamford broke for home and didn’t draw a throw to the plate to end the game. Perry, who was 4-of-7 for the game, raised his batting average 27 points with his performance.
The marathon game produced 15 runs and 33 hits, as 13 pitchers toed the rubber. The two teams combined to leave 29 runners on base.
Monmouth appeared to have the game in hand on Thursday night as it took a 6-1 lead into the top of the ninth. However, Manhattan erupted for five runs to tie the game at 6-6 and to send it into extra innings.
It was then that the game was halted, at approximately 10:05 p.m. as heavy fog conditions in FirstEnergy Park reduced visibility. At approximately 10:30, the game was suspended as the fog continued to roll in, and it was determined to resume it at 10:30 a.m. on Friday (May 23) morning, in the top of the 10th inning.
Left fielder Jason Patnick led off the Jaspers’ wild ninth inning with a single against Monmouth reliever Stephen Frey, who had come in for starter Chris McKenna. McKenna had been outstanding for the Hawks in the first eight innings, scattering five hits and striking out four.
Patnick’s base hit was followed by a walk to third baseman Joe McClennan to place runners on first and second. After Frey struck out right fielder Andrew Gorecki, catcher Mikey Miranda walked to load the bases. Second baseman Yolandry Galan popped out to shortstop for the Jaspers’ second out. Centerfielder Evan Brown then walked with the bases loaded to force in one run, cutting the Monmouth lead to 6-2.
Carerra then hit a high fly to shallow center, which was lost in the fog as Monmouth’s shortstop, centerfielder and leftfielder converged on it. Two runs scored as the ball dropped in, cutting the Hawks lead to 6-4. First baseman Brendan Slattery then followed with a base hit to drive in Brown and Carrerra and knot the score at 6-6. The Jaspers did have a shot at taking the lead in the top of the ninth when Christian Sanisteban followed with a single to left field, but Slattery was gunned down at the plate trying to score from second, ending the inning.
Monmouth was able to load the bases with two outs in the bottom of the ninth as Bamford singled and Jon Guida and Perry walked, but Robbie Alessandrine struck out to end the inning. Through the first nine innings, Monmouth had stranded 12 runners, including three in the bottom of the ninth.
Both teams scored in the 12th inning. In the top half of the frame, McClennan hit a single up the middle to plate Slattery, who reached on a one-out base hit, giving Manhattan a short-lived 7-6 lead. Jeff Paglione came in to relieve T.J. Hunt and got out of the bases loaded jam with a strikeout.
In the bottom of the 12th, Alessandrine led off with a base hit, and later scored on Jake Gronsky’s double. Wilgus, who had reached on a base hit that moved Allessandrine to third, was gunned down at the plate trying to score from second.
Manhattan scored first when it loaded the bases in the top of the fourth inning behind base hits by Slattery and Patnick, sandwiching a walk to Santisteban. McClennan fouled out Perry, but right fielder Gorecki lofted a ball to centerfield for a sacrifice fly. McKenna got out of the jam when he struck out Miranda.
The Hawks answered back in the bottom of the sixth by loading the bases with two-outs, as Wilgus and Sweeney both singled and Joe Bamford drew a walk. Wilgus scored on Joe Jacques’ but the Jaspers got out of the jam when Jon Guida popped one up to shortstop.
Monmouth then scored four runs in the bottom of seventh to take what appeared to be a commanding 6-1 lead. Bamford delivered a 2-RBI single after both Gronsky and Craig Sweeney were hit by the pitcher to force in a pair of runs.
Anthony Ciaverella pitched two innings of hitless relief to collect the win for the Hawks, while Casey Meyers took the loss for Manhattan.