May 17, 2008
Box Score
Piscataway, NJ - Wagner exploded for seven runs in the second inning on its way to an easy 10-4 win over Sacred Heart in game two while sweeping today's doubleheader from Sacred Heart at Bainton Field. The Green & White improve to 26-25 and 16-10 in the Northeast Conference (NEC) while setting a school-record for conference-victories. The Pioneers fall to 11-40 and 9-17 in the NEC.
With their sweep the Green & White clinched the No. 3 seed for the upcoming NEC Tournament and will play in the tourney's second game at 3:30 pm on Thursday, May 22, most likely against Central Connecticut.
Senior LHP Joe Testa (Brick, NJ / Brick) improved to 7-4 while notching his 19th win and moving into a tie with legendary hurlers Bill Willetts and Don Finley for most career-victories at Wagner. The hard-throwing lefty retired the first eight batters of the game in order and struck out five while yielding four runs, two earned, on five hits and a walk over 6.2 innings of work.
Junior Vin Avella (Matawan, NJ / CBA) singled to left with one out in the first. After moving around to third on Seth Boyd's (Fr., Perth Amboy, NJ / Perth Amboy) successful hit-and-run, Avella scored on a failed pick-off attempt.
Wagner then sent 12 men to the plate in the second inning while putting up a seven-spot. Junior Chris Drechsel (Cranford, NJ / Cranford) singled and stole second before advancing to third on a Jon Lucas (Fr., Hackettstown, NJ / Hackettstown) single to left. Drechsel scored on Kevin Payne's (So., Staten Island, NY / St. Peter's) fielder's choice. Payne moved over to second on a throwing error on a bunt from freshman Brian Martutartus (Carlsbad, CA / La Costa Canyon). After sophomore Damian Csakai (Freehold, NJ / Freehold) walked, classmate Joe Conforti (Staten Island, NY / Farrell) made it 3-0 with a RBI fielder's choice, scoring Payne. Avella walked to reload the bases before Boyd walked, forcing in Martutartus. Junior Kevin McDonnell (Bristol, CT / Avon Old Farms) singled home two more and Drechsel concluded the scoring with a two-run double to left-center, extending the lead out to 8-0.
With the score still 8-0 in the sixth, Sacred Heart got on the board with three runs on the strength of three hits and a Wagner error.
The Seahawks would get two of the runs back in the bottom of the inning when Avella walked with the bases loaded and McDonnell hit a sacrifice fly to deep-left.
Sacred Heart struck for one more run in the seventh before reliever Kevin Rush (Metuchen, NJ / Metuchen) ended the game with a three-pitch strikeout.
McDonnell went 1-3 with three RBI while Boyd and Drechsel each recorded two hits to lead the offense.
Jack Wagoner was the tough-luck loser, yielding eight runs, just one earned, over 4.0 innings.
The teams will conclude their series with a 12 pm doubleheader tomorrow at Richmond County Bank Ballpark.
