May 21, 2006
Box Score
STATEN ISLAND, NY - Senior Joseph Malfettano's (Toms River, NJ / Toms River North) bases-loaded single in the bottom of the 10th propelled Wagner to a 6-5 victory over Monmouth while clinching a spot in the upcoming Northeast Conference (NEC) Tournament. The win also wrapped up a three-game sweep over the preseason NEC champions while eliminating the Hawks (27-22; 14-9 NEC) from postseason play.
The Seahawks conclude their regular season with a 17-32 record and a 15-9 record in the NEC as they will be the No. 3 seed in the NEC Tournament and will face second seeded Quinnipiac (22-22-1; 14-8 NEC) at 3:30 pm on Thursday, May 25 at First Energy Park in Lakewood, NJ. The 15 conference wins are the most in school-history, surpassing the 14 victories accumulated by the 2000 NEC Champions, and the No. 3 seed is the best in school-history as they were the No. 4 seed in their previous five trips.
Senior rhp Mike D'Angelis (Paramus, NJ / St. Joseph Regional) improved to 2-9 on the season pitching 3.0 gutsy innings of relief in a steady rain, yielding just one hit.
Wagner scored first as senior Nick Papa (Freehold, NJ/ Freehold) singled to second base to lead off the second before advancing to second on a balk. After a ground out pushed him to third base Papa scored on a Mike Picarello (Sr., Clifton, NJ / Clifton) ground out to make it 1-0. Monmouth looked poised to answer in the top of the third as they loaded the bases with one out. However freshman rhp Andrew Huebner (Hatfield, PA / North Penn) coaxed No. 4 hitter Pat Sullivan into a fly out down the right field line. After making the catch freshman Chris Drechsel (Cranford, NJ / Cranford) threw a one-hopper to home plate nailing Justin Braun.
The Green & White carried that momentum to the bottom part of the inning when freshman Pete Delleani (Manalapan, NJ / CBA) doubled to center field to lead off the inning. Following a groundout Drechsel plated Delleani with his first collegiate double to left field. Junior Matt Mastrianni (Ringoes, NJ / Hunterdon Central) then smoked a single up the middle advancing Drechsel to third. Junior Ed Sudol (Wallington, NJ / Wallington) then brought Drechsel home with a sacrifice fly to make it 3-0.
Wagner tacked on two more runs in the bottom of the fourth. Malfettano doubled down the left field line to start the inning and scored on an errant throw on Picarello's sacrifice bunt. Picarello advanced to second on the throw and then moved to third on a balk before being brought in on a Delleani single making it 5-0 Wagner.
Monmouth though would not go away as Braun led off the top of the fifth with a solo home run to left field to make it 5-1.
In the top of the seventh Monmouth struck again scoring four runs on three-straight hits to tie the game at 5-5.
Monmouth relief pitcher Kevin Schneider then came in and quickly shut down the Green & White over the next three innings allowing only a base hit by junior Pat Rogers (Middletown, NJ / Brookdale C.C.).
After D'Angelis retired the side in the top of the 10th, the Seahawks struck in the pivotal bottom frame. Mastrianni got things rolling with a one out hit to right field. Sudol then moved Mastrianni to third with a base hit up the middle. Monmouth then loaded the bases intentionally walking Papa to try and set up a force at any base. However that strategy backfired as Malfettano hit a rocket to center field for his second and most important hit of the game, scoring Mastrianni.
Yesterday's game-two hero Huebner was impressive on the mound, striking out six while giving up only one run in 5.2 innings of work in taking a no-decision.
Schneider (2-4) struck out three and gave up just one run in 3.1 innings of work.
Drechsel, Mastrianni, Malfettano and Delleani all had two hits on the day to lead Wagner.
