BRIDGEPORT, Conn. – The Sacred Heart University baseball team dropped game three of the Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference (MAAC) series to Manhattan, 11-8, after winning the series yesterday in game two. Gavin Donohue led the Pioneers at the plate with five hits, a home run, and two doubles.
 
Records
SHU: 11-10 (6-3 MAAC)
Manhattan: 8-14 (3-6 MAAC)
 
Pitching
Ryan Parker: 1.1 IP, 5 H, 8 R (7 ER), 2 BB
PJ Rogan: 4.2 IP, 5 H, 1 R (1 ER), 1 BB, 3 SO
Ryan Redmond: 2.0 IP, 2 H, 2 R (1 ER), 1 BB, 3 SO
Charlie Costello: 1.0 IP
 
Hitting
Gavin Donohue: 5 H, 3 R, 1 RBI, 2 2B, 1 HR, 1 SB
Peter Link: 2 H, 2 RBI, 1 2B
Zack Kovalchik: 2 H, 2 R, 2 SB
Steak Newman: 1 H, 3 RBI, 1 2B
 
How it Happened:
It was a sunny but chilly and windy day at Veterans Park. The wind though, being the difference that helped Manhattan take an early 5-0 lead in the first. Ryan Lordier secured a with an RBI single to score its first run. Then Hunter Sute secured a one out grand slam that carried way over the right center wall.
 
Gavin Donohue took advantage of almost the same gust as he immediately responded in the bottom of the first as the lead-off batter with a home run to left center.
 
The Jaspers added another three runs in the second with an RBI base hit bunt and a two RBI single up the middle.
 
Again, SHU responded as Dante D'Amore plated Kovalchik with a bases loaded single to shallow center field. Immediately following, Peter Link worked a walk to score G. Donohue. With just one out and bases loaded, Steak Newman secured the sacrifice fly to plate another Pioneer closing the gap 8-4.
 
After an active first two innings, the teams sat through a quiet three innings until the Jaspers struck again in the top of the sixth with a sacrifice fly.
 
Manhattan took advantage of the wind yet again in the seventh as Aidan Taclas secure another home run for the Jaspers for the 10-4 lead.
 
The Pios rallied to come within two in the bottom of the seventh. Alex Ungar secured an RBI single to right field with bases loaded and no outs. Link worked his second RBI walk of the day to plate Kovalchik. Newman then hit a beauty up the middle getting by the center fielder to plate Ungar and G. Donohue.
 
With a Jasper insurance run in the top of the eighth, the Pioneers ultimately fell, 11-8.
 
With his hits today, Link leads the Pioneers with an eight-game hitting streak.
 
Up Next
Sacred Heart will head to Smithfield, R.I., to face Bryant University for a midweek matchup on Tuesday at 3 p.m.