March 29, 2008

Stats

Willimantic, CT - Senior catcher Victoria Batistelli's (Huntington Beach, CA/Huntington Beach) grand-slam homer sparked a two-out, six-run third inning in the first game of a doubleheader against Central Connecticut State that allowed the Seahawks to come back from a 5-0 deficit and take a lead they would keep to close out the game, 13-7 at Eastern Connecticut's Howard Spector Field. The second game wouldn't bode as well as they would lose a tight 5-4 decision after the Blue Devils (6-7-0, 1-1-0 NEC) would win it in the bottom of the sixth on a wild pitch that moved a run across from third base. With the split the Seahawks open up Northeast Conference play 1-1 while they move to 9-10-0 overall on the year.

In the first game, the Seahawks saw themselves behind on the scoreboard right out of the gate when the Blue Devils put up five runs in the opening two stanzas on Wagner sophomore starting pitcher Kate Eshelman (Reno, NV/McQueen) on a two-out error, a fielder's choice, and two base hits.

However, Central wouldn't hold the lead for long as the potent Seahawk bats awoke in the top of the third after two outs were made and runners flooded the bases. With this bases-loaded situation Batistelli then launched her grand slam bomb, the four RBI making her season-total 19 - good enough for a tie for the team-lead. The teammate who she happens to be tied with is junior infielder Andrea Lazzari (Reno, NV/Wooster) who not only followed her in the batting order but followed her homerun bid with one of her own to tie the score at 5-5 and continue the Seahawks' two-out rally. Before the third out would be obtained by the Blue Devils the Seahawks would tack on one more run to take the lead on a Kate Eshelman double that drove in junior designated player Jaclyn Vanore (Palisades Park, NJ/Paramus Catholic) after she doubled the previous at-bat.

Wagner's next six-run inning, though, would be the one that would put the game away in their collective pocket, for good.

That was the top of the sixth when senior rightfielder Ami Iwicki (Flemington, NJ/Hunterdon Central) lead off with a double - her 40th of her career, four more and she becomes Wagner's all-time leader. Two batters later, with one out, freshman centerfielder Emily Pierce (Phoenix, AZ/Desert Vista) doubled herself to knock in Iwicki for an RBI. Then with two outs senior shortstop Katie Stevens (Reno, NV/Wooster) singled to knock in Pierce for a run which was immediately followed by a Batistelli double that drove in the Reno native. After Andrea Lazzari walked and Batistelli stole third Vanore got involved in the party with an RBI single up the middle and Eshelman drove in the final two runs of the inning with a base knock which brought Iwicki up once again to bat around before striking out looking.

Sophomore hurler Danielle Wagoner (Temecula, CA/Temecula Valley) - who came into relieve Eshelman in the sixth when she pinch-hit for freshman first baseman Christina Pinkus (Cohasset, MA/Cohasset) - closed the door in the bottom of the seventh by getting the Blue Devils to go one-two-three. She went two innings giving up a run on two hits walking one while Eshelman got credit for the win after five innings pitched giving up five earned runs on eight hits while walking four. She evens up her record on the year, 3-3.

In the second game it all came down to the final two innings.

Wagner held a one-run advantage heading into the bottom of the sixth inning with freshman starting pitcher Heather Ochoa (Los Angeles, CA/Notre Dame) still in the circle having only surrendered three earned runs and eight hits and in position for her fifth win of the season.

That would all change, however, when she started off the inning walking the Blue Devil lead-off batter. The next hitter in the lineup advanced her to second on the sacrifice bunt as she would score easily from there after the following hitter in the lineup doubled to driver her in, tying the game at four. Then, with a runner on third and one-out Ochoa (4-4) threw a wild pitch that got past Seahawk backstop Batistelli pushing across the winning-run that would stand up after the Seahawks failed to get a run in their last chance at bat in the seventh.

The Seahawks now get ready for another NEC doubleheader tomorrow in Hamden, Connecticut when they'll take on the Bobcats of Quinnipiac University. First game is slated for noon.