In a thrilling and hard-fought contest, the Centenary Cyclones were handed a 9-6 defeat in game one of their doubleheader against Manhattanville on Saturday. Despite a solid offensive showing, the Cyclones couldn't overcome a controversial moment in the fifth inning that shifted the momentum in favor of the Valiants.

Centenary racked up a total of 9 hits in the game, with standout performances from Greg Carrillo and Dominick Chiego. Carrillo went 3-for-4 at the plate, driving in two RBIs, while Chiego also contributed three hits, adding an RBI of his own. The two players were instrumental in keeping the Cyclones in the game throughout its entirety.

Myles Castillo provided a solid offensive spark, adding a hit and an RBI to the Cyclones' cause. Anthony DiGrande also found success at the plate, going 1-for-2 with an RBI. Joseph Frei rounded out the offensive production with an RBI, while Derek DePace contributed with a hit.

However, despite the Cyclones' offensive effort, the game was marred by a pivotal, controversial moment that ultimately sealed Centenary's fate. In the top of the fifth inning, with the Cyclones leading by two runs, Manhattanville's at-bat was interrupted by what appeared to be a balk call against Centenary's pitcher, the umpires allowed the play to continue, and Manhattanville capitalized with a grand slam, breaking the game open and giving them a commanding 8-6 lead.

The balk call and subsequent grand slam quickly became the focal point of the game, as the Cyclones were visibly frustrated by the decision. The controversial ruling seemed to shift the tides of the contest, as Centenary was unable to recover from the deficit.

Despite the tough loss, Centenary showed resilience, especially in the latter half of the game, when they continued to battle at the plate. However, Manhattanville's strong pitching and key hitting proved to be too much to overcome.

The Cyclones will look to bounce back in the second game of the doubleheader, hoping to even the series and gain some momentum moving forward. The team will need to shake off the frustration of the controversial call and refocus on executing their game plan to secure a win.

Key Stats:

• Greg Carrillo: 3-for-4, 2 RBIs

• Dominick Chiego: 3-for-4, 1 RBI

• Myles Castillo: 1-for-3, 1 RBI

• Anthony DiGrande: 1-for-2, 1 RBI

• Joseph Frei: 1 RBI

• Derek DePace: 1 hit

Centenary will look to learn from this tough loss as they prepare for their next challenge against Manhattanville.