Feb. 29, 2008
Box Score
Miami, FL - Florida International defeated Wagner by a 10-2 score in the Seahawks' season-opener at University Park. The Golden Panthers improve to 2-4.
The Green & White scored their two runs on five hits while the Golden Panthers struck for 10 runs on 13 hits.
After Wagner scored the first two runs of the game in the bottom of the third, FIU scored 10 unanswered runs while allowing the Seahawks just two hits over the last six innings.
Taking the tough-luck loss was Joe Testa (Brick, NJ / Brick). The senior lefty struck out seven, against just two walks, while yielding just two earned runs (five total) in 6.0 innings of work. With the seven strikeouts, Testa moved past Mike McTamney for second place on Wagner's career strikeout list and now has 235, just two off of Andrew Bailey's school-record (237). Testa also moved into seventh place on the all-time Seahawk list in innings pitched (215.0).
Testa showed no signs of rust in Wagner's first game of the year, striking out the side in the first while retiring the first six batters he faced in order.
Wagner struck first against the Golden Panthers with two unearned runs in the top of the third. The nine-hole hitter, sophomore Kevin McDonnell (Bristol, CT / Avon Old Farms) singled to right with one out. Classmate Damian Csakai (Freehold, NJ / Freehold) also singled to right, pushing McDonnell to second. Seth Boyd (Perth Amboy, NJ / Perth Amboy) then grounded into a fielder's choice that was misplayed by the shortstop, allowing McDonnell to score the game's first run. Csakai, who advanced to third on the miscue, was brought home to make it 2-0 on a Chris Drechsel (Jr., Cranford, NJ / Cranford) RBI groundout.
FIU quickly wrestled the lead back in the bottom of the inning with three unearned runs. In the bottom of the third, Jorge Castillo led off with a double for the Golden Panthers' first hit of the night. Testa then struck out Steven Stopp, however he reached safely on a passed ball. After another Testa strikeout, Lammar Guy walked to load the bases. Testa coaxed a sacrifice fly on the next play to make it 2-1 before Raimy Fuentes two-out single up the middle plated a pair to make it 3-2.
FIU added a pair of runs in the fifth on a Stropp home run and a RBI double to go up 5-2.
After Testa exited the game, the Golden Panthers put the game away with five runs in the bottom of the seventh while sending 10 batters to the plate.
The Seahawks' offense was shut down by Chris Allen (1-1), who had been hit hard by the Green & White a year ago, as the senior RHP struck out eight and did not walk a batter or allow an earned run over 7.0 shutout innings.
Csakai led Wagner, going 2-4 with a run scored to lead the Wagner offense.
Funtes led the FIU attack going 3-4 with a double and three RBI.
The two teams will play a day-night doubleheader tomorrow with games at 1 pm and 7 pm.
