HIT KING: Batten Breaks Hit Record As Bobcats Sweep Manhattan

Saturday, May 6

Dutchess Stadium//Wappingers Falls, NY

2 PM

Quinnipiac University

16-27, 9-10

Manhattan College

13-30, 7-9

Quinnipiac

Manhattan

HIT KING: Batten Breaks Hit Record As Bobcats Sweep Manhattan

5/6/2017 7:43:00 PM | Baseball

Box Score 1 Box Score 2

By: QU Sports Information

WAPPINGERS FALLS, New York - Quinnipiac senior captain Matthew Batten (Shelton, Connecticut) became the Bobcats' all-time leader in hits in a two-game sweep of Manhattan at Dutchess Stadium in Wappingers Falls, New York. The Bobcats silenced Manhattan's bats to the tune of 4-0 and 3-0 in the twin bill. Quinnipiac pulls even at .500 in the MAAC at 10-10 while also improving to to 17-27 overall. Manhattan drops to 13-31 overall and 7-10 in conference play.

Batten entered the weekend needing two hits to pass Tim Binkoski '07, who held Quinnipiac's all-time record of 244 hits that was set in 2007. Batten did just that, recording a hit in each game of the doubleheader. In addition to the hits record, Batten scored twice to tie head coach John Delaney's NCAA Division I record of 139 runs scored. Joe Zangari holds the all-time mark of 144. Mike Davis (Sandy Hook, Connecticut) also converted on his eighth save of the season to tie Robbie Hitt's single-season record that he set in 2016.

VIDEO: Matthew Batten rewrites the Quinnipiac baseball history books with his 245th career hit, a new program record. pic.twitter.com/bqQdgB8nvA
— QU Baseball (@TheQBaseball) May 6, 2017

Liam Scafariello (Southington, Connecticut) drove in four of the Bobcats' seven runs while Ryan Nelson (Knoxville, Tennessee) and Mike Palladino (Rockville Center, New York) both collected two hits in the second and Brian Moskey (Higganum, Connecticut) drove in a run.

Batten's multi-milestone day and Scafariello's offensive output teamed with two back-to-back strong pitching performances led the Bobcats. In the first game, Chris Enns (Canton, Connecticut) dealt the Jaspers six scoreless innings while scattering six hits to improve to 4-2 on the season while Wyatt Hamilton (Falmouth, Massachusetts) pitched three scoreless innings, striking out four for his second save of the season. For Enns, this marks his third outing in his last four starts in which he has not allowed an earned run as he improves to 4-1 with a 1.32 ERA against MAAC competition.

In the second game, Taylor Luciani (Berlin, Connecticut) held Manhattan to four hits while striking out three to improve to 4-5 on the year. Luciano has now won three-straight starts while holding MAAC batters in those games to five runs on 17 hits over 18 1/3 innings. Matthew Osieja (Wyckoff, New Jersey) made his 68th career appearance to continue to expand his program record while Davis struck out the first batter he faced before inducing a game-ending double play for his record-tying eighth save of the season.

Game 1 Scoring Recap

Palladino and Batten supplied back-to-back hits, and then moved into scoring position on a wild pitch, to set the table for Scafariello who drove a 3-and-1 pitch to left center field to give Quinnipiac a 2-0 lead.
In the second inning, Ben Gibson (Sagamore Beach, Massachusetts) walked before Julius Saporito (Manalapan, New York) singled through the left side of the infield. Anthony Cruz then bunted them over before Nelson drove in Gibson with a single to left field to give the Bobcats a 3-0 lead, with Saporito moving to third. Palladino's sacrifice bunt score Saporito to give Quinnipiac a 4-0 lead.
Manhattan threatened in the bottom of the third inning but a relay from Palladino to Nelson to Cruz retired Manhattan's Gronlier at the plate.

Game 2 Scoring Recap

With Palladino and Batten on base again, Scafariello's double down the left field line broke a 0-0 tie in the top of the sixth inning to give the Bobcats a 2-0 lead.
Joseph Burns (Shelton, Connecticut) followed with a single, moving Scafariello to third, before Moskey's fly ball to right was deep enough to score Scafariello and give Quinnipiac a 3-0 advantage.

Quinnipiac and Manhattan will face each other again on Sunday, May 7 with a nine-inning game at 2 p.m. in Wappingers Falls. ?

RECORD = BROKEN. With his 245th hit as a Bobcat, Matthew Batten has set a new program record in Career Hits for Quinnipiac. #BobcatNation pic.twitter.com/nT8ZQ8MIOE
— QU Baseball (@TheQBaseball) May 6, 2017