April 14, 2006
Box Score
Game Two Box
STATEN ISLAND, NY -The Wagner College Seahawks split two games with Sacred Heart earlier today at Dr. Bill Willetts Field, winning the second game 4-2 after dropping the first 9-3. The Seahawks are now 6-23 and 5-3 in the NEC while the Pioneers are 14-19 and 7-4 in the NEC.
The Seahawks were led by strong pitching and the hitting of junior Joseph DiGeronimo (Hawthorne, NJ / Hawthorne) and senior Nick Papa (Freehold, NJ / Freehold). DiGeronimo continued his torrid hitting going 5-6 with three runs, two doubles and two stolen bases while raising his average to a robust .393, including .600 (18-30) in NEC play. Papa went 3-6 with three infield hits and two RBI.
In the second game, Wagner struck early as DiGeronimo walked on four pitches in the top of the first. Papa then beat out a bunt to the pitcher while moving DiGeronimo to second. Freshman Andrew Huebner (Hatfield, PA / North Penn) followed with a sacrifice bunt that advanced each runner up a base. Junior Ed Sudol (Wallington, NJ / Wallington) then hit a sacrifice fly to deep center, scoring DiGeronimo to make it 1-0.
Sacred Heart then answered with a pair of runs in the third and fourth innings to go up 2-1. During that time Pioneer starter Chris Aldrich silenced the Seahawks' bats, holding them to just one hit.
That all changed in the bottom of the fifth as senior Mike Picarello (Clifton, NJ / Clifton) blasted a single up the middle to lead off the inning. Following a strikeout, freshman Chris Drechsel (Cranford, NJ / Cranford) extended his hitting streak to six games with a single to centerfield. DiGeronimo then tied the game up at 2-2 with a double to left field. Papa followed up with an effective groundout to first base, driving in Drechsel to make it 3-2 . Huebner concluded the scoring, bringing home DiGeronimo with a double to right field.
Then it was time for redshirt-junior rhp Andrew Bailey (Haddon Heights, NJ / Paul VI). Bailey relieved starter lhp Joe Testa (Brick, NJ / Brick) with one out in the top of the sixth and after a double retired the next two batters to end the sixth. Bailey turned out the lights on the Pioneers in the top of the seventh, striking out the side with an array of high-powered fastballs and off-speed pitches while earning his third save on the season.
Testa moved to 2-4 on the season, striking out three while allowing just two runs. Bailey saved his third NEC game of the season and the Seahawks improved to 4-2 in conference games decided by two runs or less. Aldrich took the loss and is now 3-3 on the season.
In the Seahawks' game one 9-3 loss, Wagner fell behind 3-0 in the top of the first as a result of two errors that resulted in two unearned runs. Sacred Heart pushed their lead to 6-0 in the top of the third before the Seahawks answered with three runs of their own in the bottom part of the inning, highlighted by a Mike Maffucci (Fr., Nutley, NJ / Nutley) single that drove in two runs. The Pioneers added three runs in the top of the seventh to win going away 9-3.
Senior rhp Mike D'Angelis (Paramus, NJ / St. Joseph Regional) went 4.1 innings in falling to 1-6 on the season. D'Angelis struck out six and yielded six runs, four earned, despite allowing just three hits. Reigning NEC Pitcher of the Year Jay Monti struck out 10 in a complete-game effort while moving to 4-2 on the season.
The Seahawks and the Pioneers will play the rubber-game of their three-game set tomorrow starting at 12 pm.
