May 12, 2006

Box Score

Hackensack, NJ - Third-seeded Wagner College erupted for three runs in the first two innings and added five more in the fifth and sixth frames to roll past #2 Robert Morris, 8-0, in six innings in the second game of the 2006 Northeast Conference Championship. The win is the Seahawks first opening round victory since 1994 - a 2-1 decision over Mount St. Mary's.

First team all-conference pitcher Morgan Miller (Las Vegas, NV/Silverado) was stellar in the circle, tossing a complete game three-hitter en route to her school record 19th victory of the season.

Sophomore Ami Iwicki (Flemington, NJ/Hunterdon Central) - a second team all-NEC honoree - had an impressive evening at the plate, going 3-for-4 with two RBI and three runs scored. Rookie of the Year and First-team honoree Andrea Lazzari (Reno, NV/Wooster) was 2-for-3 with a pair of RBI.

Morgan Miller was brillant on the mound with a three hit shutout

The Seahawks (35-18) advance to face the top-seeded Long Island Blackbirds at 12:30 p.m. on Saturday in the winner's bracket game. The Colonials (24-18) take on fourth-seeded Mount St. Mary's in the loser's bracket at 10:00 a.m.

A pair of Robert Morris errors and two hit batsmen allowed Wagner to plate a run in the first. With the bases loaded, Colonials hurler Danielle Cohen hit Jaclyn Vanore (Palisades Park, NJ/Paramus Catholic) to plate Iwicki.

With two outs and two runners aboard in the second, Iwicki drove a 1-1 pitch down the left field line to push Wagner out ahead, 3-0.

The Seahawks scored three insurance runs in the fifth, two of which were unearned. Vanore and Lazzari added an RBI each in the inning. Lazzeri would score the third run of the frame on an error by the third baseman.

Iwicki opened the sixth with her second double of the game and scored on a double to right by Victoria Batistelli (Huntington Beach, CA/Huntington Beach). A sacrifice fly by Lazzari would give Wagner to an 8-0 advantage.

Left fielder Christina Hopkins (Edison, NJ/Edison) preserved the shutout in the bottom of the sixth, nailing Jill Spargo (Warren, PA/Warren Area) at the plate to end the game.

Spargo had two hits for the Colonials.