May 4, 2008
Box Score
Staten Island, NY - Wagner broke out the brooms for the second time this year with 3-1 game-four win over Quinnipiac. The Seahawks plated just three runs for the third-straight game but rode excellent pitching and timely hitting to secure the victory while evening its record at 22-22 and improving to 13-7 in the Northeast Conference (NEC). Quinnipiac falls to 11-31 and 5-15 in the NEC.
The 22 wins are just two off the school-record total of 24 set in 2000, when Wagner advanced to its only NCAA Regional in school-history. The 13 wins are also just two off the school-record of 15 set in 2006. Despite the sweep, Wagner is still a half game behind Central Connecticut for second place in the conference (13-6 NEC) as the Blue Devils are at Sacred Heart tonight at 6:30 pm.
Junior Andy Wells (Staten Island, NY / St. Peter's) struck out four over a career-high 6.0 innings in picking up his first win as a Seahawk. He yielded just one run on six hits and is now 1-4 on the year. The Wagner bullpen relieved Wells in the seventh and hurled 3.0 scoreless innings, allowing just two hits. Junior Andrew Huebner (Hatfield, PA / North Penn) pitched a scoreless ninth while extending his single-season save total to nine with his third stop of the weekend.
Wagner out-hit Quinnipiac 12-8 but could only muster three runs for the third-straight game. The defense was also outstanding turning three double-plays.
The Bobcats jumped in front 1-0 in the fourth. Pete Kummerfeldt led off with a single before moving over to second on a wild pitch. Kummerfeldt went to third on a ground out and scored on a Brian Monack RBI single up the middle.
Wagner struck for three runs in the fifth. Freshmen Jon Lucas (Hackettstown, NJ / Hackettstown) and Joe Jamison (West Caldwell, NJ / James Caldwell) began the innings with singles. Then with one out sophomore Damian Csakai (Freehold, NJ / Freehold) singled through the left-side, bringing around Lucas to tie the game up at 1-1. Jamison scored on a wild pitch to make it 2-1 before sophomore Vin Avella (Matawan, NJ / CBA) doubled to right field, scoring Csakai to extend the lead out to 3-1.
Quinnipiac threatened in the top of the seventh loading the bases with two singles and a hit batter while chasing Wells. Freshman lefty David Rees (Staten Island, NY / Xavier) entered and coaxed a fielder's choice at the plate before inducing an inning-ending double play to quell the Bobcat-rally.
Junior RHP Kevin Rush (Metuchen, NJ / Metuchen) entered in the eighth and gave up a one-out single but induced Quinnipiac's No. 4 hitter, Kummerfeldt, into a line-drive double play to end the frame.
Huebner then converted his ninth save in 10 chances. On the year, he has appeared in a team-best 17 games on the mound, striking out 21 with a 2.28 ERA over 23.2 innings of work. During NEC-play, Huebner has been even better, saving six of Wagner's 13 wins while striking out 11, against no walks, and posting a 0.96 ERA over 9.1 innings.
Csakai was 3-4 with a run and a RBI while Avella, sophomore Joe Conforti (Staten Island, NY, Farrell) and Jamison all recorded two hits to lead the offense.
Monack went 3-4 with a RBI to pace the Bobcats. Joe Duffy (1-6) struck out four and yielded three runs over 7.0 innings.
Wagner breaks for finals-week before heading to second-place CCSU next weekend. First-pitch for Friday's night's game at Beehive Field is slated for 7 pm.
NOTES: Wagner has never been at .500 this late in the season before during head coach Joe Litterio's nine-year tenure ... During NEC-play, the Green & White are 9-2 in game decided by three runs or less after going 6-12 a year ago ... Last year, Wagner lost four games to Quinnipiac by a total of 10 runs, this year the Seahawks took all four by a combined total of seven runs ... Over the last two NEC weekends, against the Mount and Quinnipiac, the bullpen has allowed just one earned on just eight hits and one walk over 17.0 innings ... During conference-play, the bullpen has posted a 1.19 ERA over 37.2 innings ... The overall ERA for the team is 3.93, including 2.19 during NEC-play ... Wagner was 12-36 (.333) with runners in scoring position on the weekend while Quinnipiac was just 6-36 (.167).
