FISHKILL, N.Y. - Eric Nieto broke a 2-2 tie with a solo home run in the top of the eighth to lift Manhattan to a 3-2 win over Le Moyne in the Anaconda Sports Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference Baseball Tournament. The top-seeded Dolphins (37-13) dip into an elimination game against Niagara at 9:25 p.m.
Manhattan senior Chris Cody survived a rocky first inning to post his 11th win of the season. After allowing two runs in the opening frame, the MAAC Pitcher of the Year kept the league's top hitting team off the board the rest of the way. For the game, Cody (11-2) struck out 12 and allowed seven hits - none for extra bases - in a 120-pitch effort.
Le Moyne junior starter T.J. Sheridan (Syracuse, N.Y./Christian Brothers Academy) equaled his career high with 10 strikeouts in seven innings. The Jaspers used a leadoff single, bases on balls, wild pitch and two-out two-run single to tie the game in the fifth. On Sheridan's 122nd pitch, Nieto deposited his first career home run over the wall in left center. Sheridan (8-1), a second-team all-conference pick, suffered his first loss of the season.
The Dolphins hopped out to a 2-0 lead in the first inning. Keith Connors (Jamesport, N.Y./Commack) drew a leadoff walk, Stephen Crawford (Webster, N.Y./Finger Lakes CC) pushed him to third with a hit-and-run single and singles by Andy Parrino (Brockport, N.Y./Brockport) and Michael Affronti (Dix Hills, N.Y./Commack) plated the first two runs.
Cody worked out of the inning without further damage. He struck out Ben Gaal (Manlius, N.Y./Christian Brothers Academy) and turned Phil St. Amant's (Brockport, N.Y./Brockport) failed suicide squeeze into a double play.
The Dolphins, winners of a program Division I record 37 games this season and 15 straight against MAAC opposition (prior to the loss), threatened again in the fourth and fifth innings, but failed to push across their third run. Gaal reached on an error to start the fourth and moved around to third on a two-out single by St. Amant. St. Amant darted toward second before Cody's two-strike offering to Matt Nandin (North Syracuse, N.Y./Cicero-North Syracuse). Cody threw to second to put out St. Amant, but shortstop Rene Ruiz gunned the ball home where Gaal was tagged out at the plate. Connors drew a one-out walk in the fifth and moved to third on a failed pickoff, but Cody induced Crawford into a foul out to his catcher and Parrino ended the inning with a ground out to short.
Nieto's home run was the only extra-base hit for either team. Nieto and catcher Nick Derba had two hits each for the Jaspers (31-21). Manhattan has taken three of four meetings against Le Moyne this season.
Le Moyne meets Niagara for the right to play Manhattan in the conference championship. The Le Moyne/Niagara winner will have to beat Manhattan twice on Saturday - starting with a 1 p.m. game.
