Baseball Splits in Slugfest with Manhattanville
FORT PIERCE, Fla. – The Mitchell College baseball team ended
its spring trip with a split against Manhattanville College on
Monday afternoon, falling 18-10 in the first game before winning
13-12 in the second.
Mitchell trailed 1-0 in the second game before sending 12 batters
to the plate in the fourth inning, coming away with eight runs on
six hits. Freshman Taylor
Grabill highlighted the rally with a grand slam while junior Jeff
Perillo had both a double and triple in the frame and drove in
two runs. Senior Andrew Langlais and freshman Connor
Rochefort each added RBI singles to round out the scoring.
Manhattanville wasted little time getting back into the game,
plating eight runs in the fifth to take a 9-8 lead. The Valiants
knocked Paul Martinez out of the game with the barrage. He
threw 4.1 innings and allowed eight earned runs on seven hits while
walking seven.
Manhattanville added two more runs in the sixth to go up 11-8. The
Mariners responded by scoring five runs in the sixth—all with
two outs—to regain the lead. Sophomore Ethan
Graynor got things started with a bases-loaded single that
plated two. After a pair of walks forced in another run, freshman
Eric
Pesino followed with a single up the middle to score the tying
and go-ahead runs.
Graynor, who replaced Martinez on the mound, made the margin stand
in the seventh. The Valiants scored a run to cut the deficit to
13-12 and then loaded the bases with two outs, but Graynor ended
the game with a strikeout to preserve the victory. He worked 2.2
innings and allowed three earned runs on three hits to earn the
first win of his career.
Every Mitchell player scored a run in the contest and five finished
with two or more runs batted in. The Mariners made the most of
their nine hits, leaving only four runners on base the entire
game.
In the day’s first game, the Mariners led 4-0 until
Manhattanville tied the score in the third. The game was
back-and-forth until the Valiants broke it open with a six-run
fifth and then sealed the win with seven runs in the sixth. Perillo
led the way for Mitchell with a 3-for-4 effort at the plate. He
fell a double short of the cycle and drove in three runs. Langlais
went 2-for-4 with a RBI and two doubles while Graynor went 2-for-4
with a pair of RBI. Martinez also pounded out two hits, including a
solo homer.
Mitchell will next play its home opener against Lyndon State
College on Saturday, March 27. The first game of the scheduled
doubleheader will begin at 2 p.m.
