May 2, 2008

Box Score

Staten Island, NY - Fueled by four runs in the bottom of the seventh, Wagner posted a 5-3 come-from-behind win over Quinnipiac in the first game of the teams' four-game set at Richmond County Bank Ballpark. With the win, the Green & White improve to 19-22 and 10-7 in the Northeast Conference (NEC) while the Bobcats fall to 11-28 and 5-12 in the NEC.

Wagner moves to a perfect 4-0 on the year when scoring five runs and is 11-1 when scoring at least five runs in a game.

Down 3-1 in the last of the seventh, freshman Brian Martutartus (Carlsbad, CA / La Costa Canyon) blooped a single over the first baseman's head. Sophomore Damian Csakai (Freehold, NJ / Freehold) followed with a line-drive single through the left-side. Classmate Joe Conforti (Staten Island, NY / Farrell) loaded the bases up with no outs, reaching on a successful sacrifice bunt when the pitcher elected to try and get the speedy Csakai at second. Martutartus scampered home on a wild pitch to cut the deficit to 3-2 while everyone else moved up a base. Sophomore Vin Avella (Matawan, NJ / CBA) gave Wagner the lead with a two-run single to left field, before advancing to second on the throw. Avella would later score on a Kevin McDonnell (Fr., Bristol, CT / Avon Old Farms) fielder's choice to make it 5-3.

The Seahawks then turned the game over to their bullpen, which retired all six batters it faced. Freshman LHP David Rees (Staten Island, NY / Xavier) struck out Quinnipiac four-hole hitter Pete Kummerfeldt before junior RHP Kevin Rush (Metuchen, NJ / Metuchen) coaxed two groundouts to end the eighth. Wagner closer junior RHP Andrew Huebner (Hatfield, PA / North Penn) entered in the ninth and recorded a 1-2-3 innings in picking up his school-record tying seventh save of the year. Chris Pariseau recorded seven saves in the Green & White's 2000 NEC Championship season.

Wagner opened up the scoring in the second when sophomore Kevin Payne (Staten Island, NY / St. Peter's) plated McDonnell with a bases-loaded single through the right side.

Quinnipiac got on the board with an unearned run in the top of fifth. Brian Monack led off with a double to left field. After advancing to third on a ground out, Monack scored on a two-out Seahawk error to tie the game up at 1-1.

The Bobcats assumed their first lead of the game with a pair of runs in the sixth but the damage could have been much worse. Michael Amanti and John Delaney opened up the inning with a pair of singles. Kummerfeldt then singled to right field and Amanti was gunned out at the plate on McDonnell's second outfield assist of the game. Delaney would come around on a sacrifice fly to make it 2-1 before Kummerfeldt scored from second on a bizarre play. Brian Monack struck out swinging but the ball was dropped by the catcher and while trying to get Monack at first Kummerfeldt raced around to score, making it 3-1.

Wagner then struck for four runs in the seventh to avenge a sloppy day in the field as Wagner fielders committed three errors that led to two unearned runs.

Sophomore RHP Kyle Morrison (Middlesex, NJ / Immaculata) improved to 4-3, striking out three, against one walk, while yielding just three runs, one earned, on seven hits over 7.0 innings. During NEC Play, Morrison is 4-1 with a 1.74 ERA and 20 strikeouts over 31.0 innings. Over 14.0 career innings against the Bobcats, he has also surrendered just one earned run.

Andy Mayer (2-3) struck out three and yielded five runs over 7.0 innings.

Seven different Seahawks hit safely led by Avella, who was 1-3 with two RBI and a walk. Quinnipiac also recorded seven hits as Amanti led the way going 2-4 at the dish.

The two teams will play a doubleheader tomorrow starting at 11:00 am.