March 31, 2007
Box Score
Williamsburg, VA - William & Mary (18-13) took advantage of three unearned runs to complete the doubleheader sweep against Wagner (4-13) earlier today at Plumeri Field. The Seahawks jumped out to the early 1-0 lead before the Tribe scored five straight runs to take an insurmountable 5-1 lead. Wagner continued to chip away at the lead cutting to two on twice but could get no closer.
Junior lhp Joe Testa (Brick, NJ / Brick) turned in his fourth-straight quality-start, throwing a six-inning complete game while striking out three. Testa (0-3) gave up just three earned runs but William & Mary took advantage of two Seahawk errors, parlaying them into three more unearned runs.
Just like the first game, the Seahawk hitters came to play scoring their four runs on 10 hits and four walks. However following in the same pattern Wagner stranded nine runners to just three for the Tribe.
After falling just short in their comeback-bid in game one, the Seahawks struck right away in game two. Freshman Damian Csakai (Freehold, NJ / Freehold) reached safely for the eighth-straight time spanning the last three games with an infield hit and classmate Joe Conforti (Staten Island, NY / Farrell) followed with an infield single of his own off of first base to start things off for the Green & White. A deep fly out to centerfield got Csakai over to third. Conforti stole second easily and Csakai scored on an errant throw from the catcher. On the play, Conforti was thrown out at third base.
William & Mary would take the lead with three runs in the second inning, fueled by a two-run triple off the bat of Jeff Lera. The Tribe would add to the lead with two unearned runs in the fourth to take their largest lead of the game at 5-1.
Wagner would continue to battle, cutting the deficit to 5-2 in the fifth. Conforti walked with one out before senior Joseph DiGeronimo (Hawthorne, NJ / Hawthorne) singled through the right side while advancing Conforti to third on a perfectly executed hit-and-run play. DiGeronimo would come across on a Pete Delleani (So., Manalapan, NJ / CBA) groundout.
Freshman Vin Avella (Manalapan, NJ / CBA) led off the sixth with his second-hit of the game, a ground-rule double to right center. Pinch runner Mike Musak (Syracuse, NY / Westhill) would score two batters later on a Chris Drechsel (So., Cranford, NJ / Cranford) groundout, making it 5-3. Csakai then singled and advanced to second on a balk before pinch-hitter Mike Maffucci (Nutley, NJ / Nutley) singled to shortstop to give Wagner runners at the corners with two outs. Unfortunately William & Mary relief-ace Pete Vernon escaped the jam by inducing a fly out to right field.
The Tribe would get another unearned run in the bottom of the inning to go up 6-3. Senior Ed Sudol (Wallington, NJ / Wallington) would get that run back as he blasted his first home run of the year to left field but the Green & White would get no closer, losing 6-4.
Tribe starter Kevin Landry improved to 4-3 after giving up two runs, one earned, in five innings. Vernon, the game-one winner, picked up his first save of the season.
Csakai, Avella and Sudol each had two hits to lead the Wagner offense.
The two teams will complete their three-game set tomorrow with a single-game tomorrow at noon.
NOTES - DiGeronimo extended his hitting streak to 19 games with his fifth-inning single ... Avella and Csakai combined to reach base safely in 14 of their 16 plate appearances ... Avella went 2-2 with a double and five walks in seven at bats while Csakai was 5-7 with two walks and four stolen bases ... Wagner starting pitchers walked just four batters in 12 innings while their counterparts issued 10 free passes in 10 innings ... Fueled by 15 walks the Wagner offense reached base at an impressive .421-clip.
