April 5, 2008
Box Score
Staten Island, NY - After scoring just 13 runs over their last seven games, the Wagner Seahawks exploded for a season-high 16 runs on a season-best 16 hits in a dominating 16-5 win over LIU in game one of today's Northeast Conference (NEC) opener for both teams.
The Seahawks are now 8-12 and 1-0 in the NEC while the Blackbirds fall to 8-14 and 0-1 in the conference.
Five different Seahawks recorded at least two hits while nine different members of the Green & White hit safely. Freshman Joe Jamison (West Caldwell, NJ / James Caldwell) went 3-3 with four RBI and two runs and sophomore Kevin McDonnell (Bristol, CT / Avon Old Farms) was 2-2 with three RBI, three runs and two walks to lead the Wagner offense. Classmate Vin Avella (Matawan, NJ / CBA) was 3-5 with three runs and a RBI while junior Chris Drechsel (Cranford, NJ / Cranford) and freshman Jon Lucas (Hackettstown, NJ / Hackettstown) each recorded two hits to round out the top-performers for the Green & White.
Senior Joe Testa (Brick, NJ / Brick) improved to 3-3 on the year, spinning 6.0 solid innings while yielding just four runs, two earned, on four hits. The hard-throwing lefty also struck out three, against just one walk, in moving to 3-0 all-time against the Blackbirds.
LIU took their only lead of the game with an unearned run in the first. James Jones reached on an error and was moved over to second on a ground out. After stealing third, Jones scored when Frank DiMasi singled off Testa's glove, which deflected the ball into left field.
Wagner would get that run back and more in its half of the first as the Seahawks sent eight to the plate. Sophomore Damian Csakai (Freehold, NJ /Freehold) was hit by a pitch before moving over to third on a Drechsel single through the right side. Lucas tied the game up with a sacrifice fly, scoring Csakai. Avella singled to left and after a line out, McDonnell blasted a two-run double to right field, scoring Drechsel and Avella. Jamison capped the four-run first with a single through the left side to bring around McDonnell.
The Blackbirds seemed to be creeping back in the game with a lead-off double in the third but the momentum was erased when Csakai threw out Gerard Tingos at the plate with a bullet to end the inning.
The Green & White continued to attack in the bottom of the third. With one out, Avella singled for the second time of the day. He moved to third on a line-drive single past the first baseman. McDonnell then walked to load the bases for Jamison. The rookie left fielder smacked a base hit saw through the right side, scoring Avella and Boyd. After moving to third on a ground out, McDonnell scored on an errant pick off attempt by the pitcher to make it 7-1 Wagner.
In the fourth, LIU would cut the score to 7-2, using three hit batters and a walk to score Anthony Amatucci.
The Green & White would put the game away in the bottom of the fourth, with six runs on one just one hit and five walks while sending 11 men to the plate.
Wagner tacked on three more runs in the fifth while the Blackbirds scored three runs the rest of the way to provide the game's final 16-5 tally.
Frank DiMasi had two hits and two RBI while Chris Kievit recorded two hits and a RBI to pace LIU. Couri Benz (1-3) took the loss, surrendering 11 runs, 10 earned, over 3.1 innings of work.
