May 12, 2007
Box Score
Teaneck, NJ -- Second-seeded Wagner scored six runs over the final three innings to defeat top-seeded Long Island, 8-6, and force a rematch for the Northeast Conference Softball Championship on Saturday afternoon.
The Seahawks came out swinging to start the game, loading the bases on a pair of singles and a fielding error with just one out. The Blackbirds managed to avoid any damage, as freshman Blaire Porter (Redmond, WA/Redmond) fanned two batters to end the threat.
Long Island struck in the bottom of the first after junior Celina Castillo (Bay Area, CA/Carlmont) singled and came around to score on a double by junior Vanessa Mejia (Roanoke, VA/Los Angeles Valley College) to take a 1-0 lead.
Wagner staged a two-out rally in the top of the third to take a 2-1 lead. After the first two batters were retired, the Seahawks drew a walk and singled to put runners on first and second. Junior Victoria Batistelli (Huntington Beach, CA/Huntington Beach) singled home the first run. A wild pitch plated sophomore Andrea Lazzari (Reno, NV/Wooster) to give Wagner the lead. Batistelli established a single season RBI mark at Wagner as she pasted her previous record of 46 set last season. Her single scored junior Katie Stevens (Reno, NV / Wooster), who established her own single season record for runs scored with 43, breaking Batistelli's Wagner mark from last year as well.
The Seahawks scored two runs in the fifth on a two-run homer by Batistelli, her NEC high 11th of the year, which give her 49 RBI for the season. Wagner then tacked on two more in the sixth on a single by Lazzari to make it 6-1.
The Blackbirds mounted a comeback in the bottom of the sixth after Castillo and Mejia led off with a pair of singles. Following a fielder's choice, junior Jessie DePippo (Westlake Village, CA/Agoura) singled to drive in one run and make it 6-2. Freshman Mariesha Marker (Keizer, OR/McNary) got LIU within a run at 6-5, with a three-run homer over the right field fence.
Wagner added two runs in the top of the seventh as insurance. Junior Margaret Gallia (Las Vegas, NV/Community College) delivered a pinch-hit double to plate senior Christina Hopkins (Edison, NJ/Edison) with two outs, making it 7-5. The Seahawks loaded the bases with a walk and an infield single, before a wild pitch pushed home an insurance run for an 8-5 lead.
The Blackbirds tried to rally in the last half of the seventh after junior Brittany Murphy (Los Alamitos, CA/Los Alamitos) doubled and Castillo walked. After two outs, a throwing error pushed Castillo across to make it 8-6, but Wagner senior Morgan Miller (Las Vegas, NV/Silverado) struck out Marker to end LIU's comeback. Miller improved to 16-9 with the win, the 60th of her career.
R H E
#2 Wagner 8 10 1
#1 LIU 6 9 1
