PURCHASE, N.Y.– Eastern University Baseball rode an impressive pitching performance from Mickey Foytik and clutch hitting from Jordan Laboy to a 4-3 game one win at Manhattanville College, but the Eagles were unable to hold an early lead in the nightcap. The host Valiants scored a single run in the bottom of the seventh to claim a 6-5 win in the nightcap.
How It Happened:
The Eagles scored first in the opener. Zach Belansek knocked in Britton Lawrence with a two-out infield single= The Valiants answered with a single tally in the bottom of the first on two hits against Foytik. The senior right-hander struck out three hitters, including the last two with a runner on second, in the inning. Foytik finished with nine strikeouts over six and a third innings.

The game stayed at 1-1 until the fifth. Laboy, who had entered the game in the second after an injury, capped a ten-pitch at bat with a solo homer to lead off the frame.  Foytik continued to attack the strike zone. He also got some help from his defense. First-year backstop Luke Gruend threw out a would-be base-stealer in the fifth.

The Eagles picked up a little margin with two runs in the seventh. Kyle Daddario singled to lead off the inning and made it to third on a failed pick-off attempt. after Gruendl reached on a hit-by-pitch, Laboy singled to right to plate Daddario. After Gruendl was caught stealing, Britton Lawrence drove in Laboy from second with a two-out single to left. That insurance run proved to be very important when the Valiants put their first two runners on in the bottom of the seventh. Foytik retired the next hitter, but a double to left scored one and put the tying run in scoring position with only one out.

Jacob Breyer came on to get a fly-ball out and a strikeout to close the game.

In game two, the Eagles (2-9, 1-1MAC Freedom) jumped to a 4-0 lead after one and a half innings. Belansek doubled to plate Lawrence in the first, and Laboy and Brad Clemens each had RBI doubles in the second.

The Valiants (4-4, 1-1 MAC Freedom) scored twice int he bottom of the second to close the gap. An early error in the fourth gave the Valiant offense the opening it needed. Tyler Bennett left the game with two on and one out in the inning. Breyer came on and was greeted by a pair of extra-base hits. Manhattanville went up 5-4 before Breyer retired the final two hitters of the inning.

Eastern tied the game in the sixth. Daddario singled to start the rally and left when Tyler Stanley entered to pinch run. Gruendl moved Stanley along with a bunt and Laboy moved him to third with a short single down the right field line. Clemens drove in the tying run with a ground ball out to second base.

Matt Poma came on to pitch the sixth and worked a perfect frame to bring the Eagles back up. Matt McHale singled with two outs and Joe Poma reached on an infield single to put runners in scoring position for Matt Poma. He grounded out to end the inning.

Manhattanville started the seventh with the top of the line-up against Poma. They scored the game-winner on a one-out double.

Coach Renauro Says:
"We had a great pitching performance in the first game  Mickey did what we needed him to. He worked in favorable counts and was able to go late in the game. After Thomas went down with an injury, Jordan came through in a big way. He put together a great at bat on his first plate appearance in over a week. That really sparked us moving forward."

"We were not as clean in the field as we needed to be in the second game. We preach to play clean defense and battle on every pitch at the plate. We did a good job battling at the plate, but we had some low-energy moments in the middle of the game that hurt us. We did a great job jumping out to a lead. We want to get to the point where we keep tacking on runs in games like that."

Up Next:
The Eagles will complete last Tuesday's game against Cabrini at 2:30 on Tuesday. The game will start with the Eagles batting in the top of the 11th and the score tied at 5-5. At the conclusion of the game, the teams will play a nine-inning game with Eastern as the home team. The Manhattanville series will conclude on March 31 at The Yard.