April 13, 2007

Box Score

Staten Island, NY - Reigning NEC Pitcher of the Year Dustin Pease struck out nine over 9.0 innings to help Mount St. Mary's (13-15; 3-2 NEC) to a 5-2 win over Wagner (8-17; 3-2 NEC) in game one of today's doubleheader at Dr. Bill Willetts Field.

The Mount scored all five of their runs on two-out extra base hits and kept the Green & White off the base paths, limiting them to just nine base runners.

Josh Vittek staked Mount St. Mary's to a 1-0 first-inning lead with a solo home run. Wagner answered immediately in the bottom of the inning when junior Pete Delleani (Manalapan, NJ / CBA) crushed his team-leading fifth home run of the year, a two-run blast to right-center, to put the Green & White up 2-1

In the top of the fourth, the Mount went up 3-2 with a two-run double off the bat of Matt Trusch. The Mountaineers would add to the lead with another two-run double, this time from Vittek in the seventh.

After allowing the two first-inning runs Pease settled down facing just one batter over the minimum in the next six innings.

Wagner would threaten in the bottom of the eighth as sophomore Mike Maffucci (Nutley, NJ / Nutley) reached on an error to lead off the inning. Freshman Kevin McDonnell (Bristol, CT / Avon Old Farms) then singled to move pinch runner Mike Musak (Syracuse, NY / Westhill) to second. Sophomore Chris Drechsel (Cranford, NJ / Cranford) followed with a single of his own to load up the bases with no outs. However Wagner was unable to dent the lead as Pease induced a pop-up and a double play to quell the threat before setting down the Seahawks in the ninth.

Pease's first complete game of the season moves his record to 5-3. Wagner freshman Kyle Morrison (Middlesex, NJ / Immaculata) struck out a career-high eight over 6.2 innings while yielding five runs to fall to 1-6. Classmate Buddy Cipoletti (West Islip, NY / St. John The Baptist) was outstanding in relief, pitching 2.1 scoreless frames.

Drechsel went 2-3 to lead the Wagner offense.