Box Score PURCHASE (NY) – Manhattanville College scored four runs in the ninth inning, including a walk-off single from Matt Lynch, to defeat Delaware Valley University, 5-4, in the rubber match of the Middle Atlantic Conference (MAC) Freedom series.
The Aggies fell to 9-8 overall and 5-3 in league play while the Valiants improved to 10-12 and 5-4 with the win.
DelVal gave the ball to junior
Kevin Crill to start the game and the team captain was nothing short of stellar in his third start of the season. Through eight innings he had given up just four hits and one run while striking out four batters, and the Aggies led 4-1 heading into the ninth.
Crill came out to pitch the final frame, but was pulled after surrendering a lead-off walk to Ryan Lynch and DelVal brought in sophomore
Josh Morgan. Morgan struck out the first batter he faced before eventually walking a pair of batters to load the bases with two outs.
With the nine hole hitter scheduled to bat, Manhattanville turned to pinch hitter Joe Booker who sent a 3-2 pitch down the left field line for a bases clearing double to tie the game, 4-4. Matt Lynch came up next and delivered the game-winning single to center field, his second hit of the day, plating Booker and giving the Valiants the 5-4 victory.
Crill, who also batted leadoff for the Aggies in this game, gave his team a 2-0 lead in the second inning with a single through the right side that scored
Bobby Altieri. DelVal managed four hits in that inning including an RBI single from
Steve Smith.
In the fifth,
Kyle Wenger got on with a single and, after being moved up to second base on a bunt, stole third.
Sammy Amos then laced a single to second base and Wenger came in to score to make it 3-0.
Manhattanville got on the board in the sixth inning with a bases loaded sacrifice fly from Ryan Lynch that scored Matt Lynch. DelVal quickly got the run back in the next inning as Wenger led off with a single and made his way to third with another stolen base and an error. Morgan then picked up the RBI with a sacrifice fly to left field to make it 4-1 and set up the late-game dramatics.
To add to his performance on the mound, Crill went 3-for-5 at the plate with an RBI. Wenger was 2-for-3 with a pair of runs scored and Amos went 3-for-5 with one RBI.
For the Valiants, Matt Lynch was 2-for-5 with one run scored to go with the game-winning RBI and Luke Tebolt was 2-for-4 with one run scored. Anthony LoFaro started the game and pitched six-plus innings giving up 12 hits and four runs while striking out four.
The Aggies will look to bounce back when they start another MAC Freedom series with a nine inning contest at Wilkes University on Thursday at 3:30 p.m.
