May 11, 2006
Box Score
STATEN ISLAND, NY - A five-run fourth inning and a solid performance on the mound from freshman rhp Kevin Rush (Metuchen, NJ / Metuchen) propelled the Wagner College Seahawks to a 7-2 victory over the visiting Iona Gaels earlier today at Dr. Bill Willetts Field. With the win, Wagner improves to 12-31 while Iona falls to 11-37.
Rush (1-3) scattered seven hits and two runs, one earned, over 6.0 innings in picking up his first collegiate victory.
With the score tied at 1-1 in the bottom of the fourth, the Seahawks scored five runs on four hits, three walks and one crucial error while sending 11 men to the plate.
Senior Nick Papa (Freehold, NJ / Freehold) started the inning off when he reached on an error with one out. Freshman Andrew Huebner (Hatfield, PA / North Penn) then singled. After a fly-out, senior catcher Mike Picarello (Clifton, NJ / Clifton) singled home Papa to make it 2-1. Freshman Pete Delleani (Manalapan, NJ / CBA) then loaded the bases with a single of his own to right field. Junior Joe DiGeronimo (Hawthorne, NJ / Hawthorne) followed up with a single through an opening in the right side to put Wagner up 3-1 while keeping the bases loaded. Freshman Chris Drechsel (Cranford, NJ / Cranford), junior Matt Mastrianni (Ringoes, NJ / Hunterdon Central) and classmate Ed Sudol (Wallington, NJ / Wallington) then walked in succession to put Wagner up by an insurmountable margin of 6-1.
Iona would then answer in the top of the fifth as they started the inning off with three singles in a row to make it 6-2 with runners at first and second and no outs. Rush then coaxed the next batter into a shallow fly that Mastrianni hauled in with a diving grab. The Seahawks got the second out in the inning when after a single, Mastrianni threw a perfect relay to senior Joseph Malfettano (Toms River, NJ / Toms River North), who followed with a strike to the plate nailing Iona's Matt Callahan. Rush then got the next batter to ground into a fielder's choice to end the threat.
Wagner would tack on another run in the bottom of the sixth on a Sudol single up the middle to make it 7-2.
Sophomore lhp Joe Testa (Brick, NJ / Brick) and junior rhp Dan Lanzano (E. Brunswick, NJ / E. Brunswick) combined to close out the game, striking out three in 3.0 scoreless innings.
Kevin Carmody (0-7) took the loss after yielding six unearned runs on six hits over 3.2 innings.
DiGeronimo led the Wagner bats going 2-4 with two runs in recording his team-best 18th multi-hit game of the year.
The Green & White will next be in action this weekend when they host LIU on Saturday, May 13 at 12 pm in a crucial NEC doubleheader.
