Freshman Scott Picerno allowed just four hits in 13 innings in leading Stevens past Manhattanville. |
PURCHASE, N.Y. – Freshman right-hander Scott Picerno (Bayonne, N.J./Hudson Catholic) pitched a 13-inning shutout as Stevens Institute of Technology opened the Skyline Conference baseball tournament with a 4-0 win over Manhattanville College on Friday afternoon at Valiants Stadium.
Stevens (24-13), the third seed in the four-team double-elimination tournament, will play fourth-seeded Centenary (20-16) at noon on Saturday. Centenary earned a 3-1 win at top-seeded St. Joseph’s-Patchogue. Manhattanville and St. Joseph’s, the top two seeds in the tournament, will meet in the first elimination game at approximately 3:30 p.m. The three games originally scheduled to be played on Saturday at St. Joseph’s, have been switched to Stevens as a result of the forecast of rain anticipated for Long Island.
Picerno (10-2), who entered the week ranked sixth in Division III in wins, allowed just four hits and struck out four with just one walk in going the distance for Stevens. After allowing a two-out single in the fifth inning, Picerno didn’t surrender another hit until right fielder Dave McCorison led off the bottom of the 13th with a base hit.
Stevens finally broke through against Manhattanville starter Alberto Bocus (4-4), who also worked into the 13th inning. Sophomore shortstop Adam Sandt (Allentown, Pa./William Allen) reached on an error to open the 13th. Freshman designated hitter Dan Louis (Sayreville, N.J./Sayreville War Memorial) dropped down a sacrifice bunt, moving Sandt into scoring position. Sophomore third baseman Ryan Birkenstock (Smithville, N.J./Absegami) followed with an RBI double, driving in the first run of the game. Senior second baseman Jeff Drobik (Little Falls, N.J./Passaic Valley) added a two-run double later in the inning and then came home on an error.
Stevens had a number of scoring opportunities early in the game, but left 13 runners on base. The Ducks left the bases loaded in both the second and third innings. In the top of the eighth, pinch runner Victor Acosta was thrown out in a close play at the plate trying to score on sophomore Andrew Tesoriero’s (East Brunswick, N.J./East Brunswick) two-out single to left.
Sophomore left fielder Eric McCormick (Edison, N.J./J.P. Stevens) led Stevens with three hits while Sandt added two.
For Manhattanville, Bocus gave up nine hits in 12.1 innings while striking out eight and walking three. The Valiants had only four runners in scoring position. Right fielder Mark Barrar was stranded at third base in the bottom of the 10th while shortstop Tom Verrengia was left at third in the 12th.
