April 20, 2007

Box Score

Hamden, CT - Quinnipiac scored four runs in the bottom of the 12th inning to defeat Wagner earlier today at Bobcat Field. With the loss Wagner falls to 8-22 and 3-6 in the NEC while the Bobcats improve to 12-10-1 and 5-4 in conference play.

The Seahawks never trailed in the game until Quinnipiac scored the winning run and went up in extra innings on two occasions only to see the Bobcats come back each time in a game that last ed 3:57.

Senior Joseph DiGeronimo (Hawthorne, NJ / Hawthorne) turned in a gusty-effort going 3-5 with two runs and two RBI. His RBI-single up the middle in the top of the 12th put Wagner in front 7-6. Senior Matt Mastrianni (Ringoes, NJ / Hunterdon Central) then made it 9-6 with his fourth home run of the year, a two-run shot to right field.

Quinnipiac loaded the bases with one out in the 12th on a pair of hits and a walk. Seahawk-reliever junior Thomas Weston (Fair Haven, NJ / Rumson) then induced the NEC's leading hitter Tim Binkoski into a sacrifice fly. After a walk reloaded the bases, Pete Kummerfeldt two-run single to right field tied the score up at 9-9 and advanced Randy Gress to third. Gress scored on a wild pitch on the next play to give Quinnipiac the 10-9 win.

In the 10th inning, Wagner looked to have the game in hand as they scored two runs. Sophomore Chris Drechsel (Cranford, NJ / Cranford) led off with a single and advanced to second on a Damian Csakai (Fr., Freehold, NJ / Freehold) sacrifice. DiGeronimo then blasted a double to right-center to plate Drechsel and give the Seahawks a 5-4 lead. Sophomore Peter Delleani (Manalapan, NJ / CBA) followed with a single that scored DiGeronimo to make it 6-4.

Quinnipiac tied the game up for the second time on the day at 6-6 as they scored two runs on three hits in the bottom part of the inning.

Lost in the shuffle was another outstanding effort by Wagner-starter freshman Kyle Morrison (Middlesex, NJ / Immaculata). Morrison gave up just three unearned runs on five hits over 7.0 innings while striking out four against two walks and left as the pitcher of record.

Wagner struck first getting to Quinnipiac starter and 2006 MLB Draft Pick Pat Egan for four runs in the second inning. Freshman Vin Avella (Matawan, NJ / CBA) led off with a single to right field. Mastrianni followed with a single of his own to move Avella to second. A groundout advanced the pair to second and third. Sophomore Mike Maffucci (Nutley, NJ / Nutley) delivered the third hit of the inning, a single down the right field line that just stayed fair and plated Avella and Mastrianni. Wagner continued to attack, loading the bases as freshman Joe Conforti (Staten Island, NY / Farrell) was hit by a pitch and Drechsel walked. Csakai made Egan pay by blooping a single down the right-field line to bring around Maffucci and Conforti and give the Green & White a 4-0 lead.

After that Egan settled down allowing the Seahawks just three hits over the next seven innings on his way to throwing a season-high 9.0 innings. He was aided by a solid defense that turned two double plays. He gave up four earned runs on seven hits while striking out five.

The Bobcats would begin to cut into the lead in the bottom of the second, scoring an unearned run. Quinnipiac dented the scoreboard with two more runs in the seventh, propelled by another Seahawk miscue before tying the game up at 4-4 on the fourth Seahawk-error of the day. Quinnipiac looked to be in strong position to win the game in the ninth as they had a first and second one-out situation with the four and five hitters coming to the plate. However Seahawk-relievers sophomore Dave Gerhardt (Worcester, MA / Bancroft) and freshman Buddy Cipoletti (West Islip, NY / St. John The Baptist) would have none of that as Gerhardt got Gress to pop out to Avella in foul territory before Cipoletti induced Kummerfeldt into to a ground out.

Eight Seahawk-starters got hits on the day led by DiGeronimo (three hits), Delleani (two hits), Drechsel (two hits) and Mastrianni (2 hits).

Weston fell to 1-2 on the season with the loss while Eric Bretscher improved to 2-0.

The two teams will resume action tomorrow with a doubleheader starting at Noon.