WEST LAWN, Pa.- The Manhattanville baseball team was unable to take down DeSales on Friday afternoon in the Freedom Conference Tournament, falling to the Bulldogs by a final score of 8-4, eliminating them from the playoffs.
 
Manhattanville (23-18) is the first team eliminated from the Freedom Conference Tournament after the loss to DeSales (26-16). Despite 12 hits at the plate for the Valiants, Manhattanville struggled to drive in runners in scoring position. The Bulldogs jumped out early in the contest, giving the Valiants a tough time to come back.
 
Senior Michael Lyon (North Babylon, N.Y./North Babylon) made the start on the mound for Manhattanville, tossing five innings, allowing four runs on five hits before exiting the game. For DeSales, Carlos Urena and Danny Licamara were the difference makers, tallying six hits, four runs and four RBIs. Seniors Bobby Guerra (Bronx, N.Y./Arlington) and Jeff Moskowitz (Succasunna, N.J./Roxbury) combined for three hits, two RBIs and two runs scored in the tough loss.
 
Conner Lafferty broke the game open early for DeSales in the first inning, manufacturing a two-run triple to right center to give the Bulldogs a 2-0 lead after the first. A double steal from Licamara and Urena in the fourth eventually made it 3-0 before the Valiants could get on the scoreboard. Sophomore Joe Anselmi (North Rockland, N.Y./North Rockland) brought home the first run for Manhattanville in the sixth after smoking a double to right field, bringing home classmate Robbie Lynch (Bronx, N.Y./Fordham Prep) to bring the Valiants within two. With a bases-loaded jam in the bottom half of the sixth, DeSales opened the game up to a five-run lead, producing three runs to control a 6-1 lead.
 
Trailing 6-1 headed into the seventh inning, junior Jordanis Nunez (Bronx, N.Y./St. Raymond) connected for an RBI single through the right side to score Moskowitz. Urena and Licamara got the job done again in the bottom half of the seventh, as both players registered an RBI double to put the Bulldogs up 8-2. A sacrifice fly from Moskowitz in the eighth and an RBI single from Guerra to shortstop in the ninth brought the game within four runs before the Valiants eventually fell to the Bulldogs by a final score of 8-4.
 
Manhattanville has made the Freedom Conference Tournament for four consecutive seasons, finishing its 2015 campaign with an overall record of 23-18. The Manhattanville Athletics Department would like to thank the 10 departing seniors for their contributions these last four seasons. Once a Valiant, always a Valiant!