April 7, 2007
Box Score
Brooklyn, NY - Wagner's (7-16; 3-1 NEC) bid for a four-game sweep of LIU (6-16; 1-3 NEC) fell just short as the Blackbirds pulled out the 7-6 win over Wagner earlier today at LIU Field. Despite the loss the Green & White are tied for first in the NEC with Central Connecticut State after the first weekend-series.
The Green & White fought their way back from a 6-1 deficit to tie the game in the top of the ninth only to see the Blackbirds score the winning run with a two-out base hit in the bottom of the ninth.
Down 6-5 in the ninth, senior Pat Rogers (Middletown, NJ / Brookdale CC) drew a leadoff walk. Freshman Vin Avella (Matawan, NJ / CBA) moved Rogers to second with a base hit. Senior Matt Mastrianni (Ringoes, NJ / Hunterdon Central) loaded up the bases after reaching on an error by the third baseman. Senior Ed Sudol (Wallington, NJ / Wallington) tied up the game at 6-6 with a sacrifice fly to left field while moving Mastrianni and Avella to second and third. However the Seahawks could not take the lead as LIU reliever Robbie Rowen escaped any further damage by retiring the last two batters on a fielder's choice and a strikeout.
Anthony Amatucci drew a leadoff walk in the bottom of the ninth and advanced to third on a pair of wild pitches. Johnie Neckar then walked and reliever sophomore Dave Gerhardt (Worcester, MA / Bancroft) was brought hin and didn't disappoint. After Neckar stole second Gerhardt struck out Danny Etkin and induced the Dan Pirillo into a fielder's choice to third as the Seahawks got the lead runner at home. Sophomore Kevin Rush (Metuchen, NJ / Metuchen) relived Gerhardt and got ahead of Trey Bell, before he singled off a 1-2 pitch to give the Blackbirds the game.
LIU took their first lead in the series in the first inning when Rowen doubled home Bell. Wagner would quickly answer in the second when freshman Kevin McDonnell (Bristol, CT / Avon Old Farms) smashed a double of his own to score Mastrianni and tie it up at 1-1.
The score would stay that way until the bottom of the fourth when the Blackbirds scored two runs. LIU would add on three unearned runs in the fifth inning on three hits and an error to go up on the Seahawks 6-1 while chasing Wagner-starter AJ Pirozzi (Staten Island, NY / Farrell).
From that point on the Wagner-bullpen went into lockdown mode as six pitchers combined to allow the Blackbirds just two hits and one run over 4.0 innings.
The Seahawk-offense woke up in the seventh when sophomore Mike Maffucci (Nutley, NJ / Nutley) delivered with a pinch-hit single before coming across later in the inning on a throwing error by the shortstop.
Wagner would then cut it to 6-5 in the eighth with three runs. Avella started the rally off with a double to lead off the inning before advancing to third on a groundout. Sudol then walked and McDonnell singled home Avella while moving Sudol to second. Maffucci, who stayed in the game as the first baseman, singled to load up the bases. After a force out at the plate freshman Damian Csakai (Freehold, NJ / Freehold) came up big yet again with a two-run double to cut the lead to one at 6-5.
Avella capped off a monster series, in which he hit .471 with two doubles and two home runs, by going 4-5 with a run and a double. McDonnell, Maffucci and Csakai also got two hits apiece to round out the top-offensive performers for Wagner.
Pirozzi gave up just three earned runs while striking out two over 4.2 solid innings in picking up the no-decision. Junior Thomas Weston (Fair Haven, NJ / Rumson) took the loss to fall to 1-1 on the season. Rowen improved to 2-0 with the win for LIU.
Wagner returns to action on Tuesday with a non-conference home game against Stony Brook at 3:30.
