New York, N.Y. – Sophomore John McManus' (Bayside, N.Y.) first career home run was a grand slam in the bottom of the eleventh of the opening round of the Skyline Conference Tournament that sent the

John McManus' first career home run won the game in the bottom of the 11th on Wednesday.

Dolphins to a 12-8 win over Mount Saint Mary on Wednesday evening. McManus finished the game with three of the Dolphins' 19 hits and drove in five runs.

A back and forth affair from the start Mount Saint Vincent was able to outlast Mount Saint Mary to advance to the final four of the league tournament. After the Blue Knights jumped out to a 1-0 lead in the top of the first, the Dolphins responded with a lead-off double from James Labartino (Holbrook, N.Y.) and a run scoring single from Mike Pope (Massapequa, N.Y.) to even the score at 1-1.

The first frame was the first of four comebacks for the Dolphins in the tilt. After falling behind 3-2 Mount Saint Vincent knotted the score at 3-3 when it took advantage of a two out error. Joe Blackford (Stewartsville, N.J.) crossed the plate after an errant throw which would have ended the inning short hoped Mount Saint Mary first baseman Jim Marsh.

Mount Saint Mary responded once more in the fifth to pull in front 4-3 when Louis Peisel launched a one out home run to straight away center field off of Mount Saint Vincent starter Corey Kirsh (East Meadow, N.Y.). In the bottom of the fifth Mount Saint Vincent would take its second lead of the game when it plated three runs with two outs. With two away and nobody on base, Blackford reached on an infield single and promptly stole second. He was driven in on a triple from McManus who in turn scored on a long home run ball from senior Nick Triolo (Homer, N.Y.) to push the Dolphins in front 6-4.

After a scoreless sixth inning for both teams, Mount Saint Mary plated three runs of its own with two away in the seventh when leadoff man Mike Umphlett ripped a bases loaded triple up the left center field gap to push the Blue Knight back into the lead at 7-6. Mount Saint Mary would then tack on an eighth run to give it a two run cushion in the eighth inning when Matthew Germann led off the inning with a triple and was later brought home on a single from Brian McNoble.

After being held scoreless in the eighth inning Mount Saint Vincent clawed back once more in the home half of the ninth inning. After Brendan Russo (Westbury, N.Y.) and Labartino were hit by pitches, Pope singled to center field to load the bases with nobody out. After Mike Ruckdaschel (East Meadow, N.Y.) pushed across a run on a double play ball, Blackford evened the score at 8-8 with a flair single to left with two outs.

The two teams would go scoreless in the 10th inning, with that being just the third time in the game that neither team scored in an inning, McManus played hero in the next frame. The Mount again loaded the bases with no one out before the sophomore catcher unloaded on a full count offering the ended the extra inning thriller.

McManus finished 3-6 with three runs and his five driven in. He came up a double short of the cycle in the contest. Blackford also played a huge role in the win as he led the Mount with four hits to go along with three runs. Blackford also swiped four bags in the winning effort. He also picked up the win for the Dolphins after coming on the in the ninth and working three scoreless innings.

The first six hitters in the Dolphins lineup all recorded at least two hits in the game, including Labartino who broke the single season program record with his 14th double to lead off the game. The top six combined for 16 of the Mount's 19 hits in the game and for 10 of the team's RBI.

Kirsh worked the first 4.2 innings for the Dolphins and allowed four runs on nine base hits. Anthony Mongelli (Flushing, N.Y.) came on in relief and worked 3.1 innings also allowing four runs, before Blackford shut the Blue Knights down for his second win of the season.

McNoble and Marsh each paced Mount Saint Mary with three hits in the game, with Marsh scoring two runs and McNoble driving two in. Umphlett went 2-4 with a run scored and four RBI and stands one hit shy of the school's career mark.

The win moves Mount Saint Vincent to 19-14 overall on the season. The Dolphins have advanced on to face the top seeded Farmingdale St. Rams on Friday afternoon at Farmingdale. First pitch is slated for 3:30 p.m.