April 6, 2008

Box Score

Staten Island, NY - Wagner swept a four-game from LIU with a 4-2 come-from-behind win over LIU at the Richmond County Bank Ballpark. With the win, the Seahawks move to 11-12 and 4-0 in the Northeast Conference (NEC) while LIU falls to 8-16 and 0-4 in the NEC.

LIU grabbed their first lead since early in game one with a pair of runs in the first and the third. James Jones scored on a RBI groundout in the first and scored the Blackbirds' second run on a Frank DiMasi sacrifice fly.

Wagner would threaten in each of the first four innings, stranding four.

In the bottom of the fifth, the Seahawks tacked on their first run of the game. Sophomore Brian Martutartus (Carlsbad, CA / La Costa Canyon) singled to right-center with one out. After advancing to third on a two-base error by second baseman, Martutartus scored on a fielder's choice when sophomore Damian Csakai (Freehold, NJ / Freehold) got into a pickle on the bases.

The Green & White would assume the lead in the sixth, plating three runs. Freshman Jon Lucas (Hackettstown, NJ / Hackettstown) reached on an error by the shortstop. Sophomore Vin Avella (Matawan, NJ / CBA) followed with a walk. Classmate Kevin McDonnell (Bristol, CT / Avon Old Farms) moved the pair over with a sacrifice bunt. Freshman Joe Jamison (West Caldwell, NJ / James Caldwell) singled through the right side to score Lucas and tie the score up at 2-2. Sophomore Tom DiPietro (Staten Island, NY / Felician) then laced a RBI double through the left side to give Wagner a 3-2 lead, scoring Avella while moving Jamison to third. Freshman Seth Boyd (Perth Amboy, NJ / Perth Amboy) greeted reliever John Masklee with a sacrifice fly to center, making it 4-2 Wagner.

After giving up two runs over the first three frames, freshman LHP Jack Rice (Middlesex, NJ / Immaculata) calmed down and retired nine of the last ten batters he faced over the next three innings. Lucas moved over to the mound in the seventh and yielded one hit and one walk over next 2.1 innings. Junior RHP Kevin Rush (Metuchen, NJ / Metuchen) entered in the ninth with the tying run at the plate and proceeded to strike out Dan Pirillo before inducing Jones into a groundout to pick up his first career save.

Rice improved to 4-0, striking out three while yielding two runs on four walks and three hits over 6.0 solid innings.

Hinkle (1-1) took the loss, giving up four runs, one earned, over 5.1 innings.

Wagner out-hit LIU 8-4 and was led by Jamison, who went 2-4 with a double and a RBI. Junior Chris Drechsel (Cranford, NJ / Cranford) and Martutartus each tallied two hits for the Green & White.

The Green & White will next be in action on Wednesday when nationally ranked St. John's comes to Staten Island for a 3 pm non-conference tilt.