March 2, 2007
Box Score
Miami, FL - The Wagner Seahawks dropped their season-opener to Florida International 19-8 earlier tonight at University Park Stadium. With the victory the Golden Panthers improve to 8-5.
In the top of the first, senior Joseph DiGeronimo (Hawthorne, NJ / Hawthrone) staked the Green & White to a 1-0 lead with a solo home run over the left-field fence. FIU answered in the bottom of the first on a two-out double. The two teams then traded zeros on the scoreboard over the next two innings before the Seahawks went up 2-1 in the top of the fourth when freshman Kevin McDonnell (Briston, CT / Avon Old Farms) singled home senior Ed Sudol (Wallington, NJ / Wallington), who had reached on an error earlier in the inning. The Green & White had a chance to add to the lead as they loaded the bases with two outs but could not capitalize.
With Wagner clinging to a one-run lead, the Golden Panthers' bats went to work in the bottom part of the inning as they scored nine runs on eights hits, while chasing junior lhp Joe Testa (Brick, NJ / Brick), to go up 10-2. FIU would push their lead to 13-2 in bottom of the fifth with three runs. Wagner got one of those runs back in the top of the seventh when freshman Kevin Payne (Staten Island, NY / St. Peter's), who had singled to lead off the inning, scored when DiGeronimo reached on an error by the shortstop.
FIU would tack on six more runs before a late-rally by the Green & White produced five ninth-inning runs. Payne walked to lead off the frame. Freshman Damian Csakai (Freehold, NJ / Freehold) then rapped out his first collegiate hit to advance Payne to second. Following a strikeout, a wild pitch moved the runners up to second and third. DiGeronimo tripled to right-center, plating the two to make it 19-5. After a strikeout Sudol singled in DiGeronimo to cut the deficit to 19-6. Sophomore Pete Delleani (Manalapan, NJ / CBA) then blasted a two-run home run to bring the Seahawks to 19-8. But the Wagner-rally would end there as the Golden Panthers retired the next batter to close out the game.
The FIU offense scored their 19 runs off of 21 hits while the Green & White scored eight runs on 13 hits. DiGeronimo had a home run, triple to go along with three RBI and two runs to lead the way for Wagner. Delleani also rapped out two hits, highlighted by a two-run homer. Senior Matt Mastrianni (Ringoes, NJ / Hunterdon Central) rounded out the top offensive-performers with two hits.
Testa took the loss striking out five while yielding seven earned runs in 3.1 innings of work. Corey Polizzano scattered two runs, one earned, on five hits while striking out five in 5.0 innings to improve to 2-1.
The Seahawks and the Golden Panthers will play game two of their three-game set tomorrow at 1 pm.
