BOX SCORE

Baltimore, MD – For the third-straight game Wagner recorded double-figures in runs (16) and hits (20) on the way to a decisive 16-3 victory over Yale. The Seahawks scored 11 runs while sending 16 batters to the plate in the second inning while for all intents and purposes putting the game out of reach. The Green & White are now 3-2 while Yale falls to 0-1.

Over the three games on the weekend, Wagner recorded a blistering .388 average as 11 student-athletes batted over .300, including eight that hit at least .400, while outscoring the opposition 42-5 over 25 innings of action. Not to be overlooked was the pitching staff, as seven different Seahawk pitchers combined to post a 1.80 ERA. The pitching-unit struck out 13, against just six walks, while scattering 19 hits and five runs. Additionally, the defense committed just two errors, compared with 10 for the opposition, and turned six double plays while recording a .981 fielding percentage.

After both offenses failed to score in the first, the Green & White put together arguably their biggest frame in recent memory striking for 11 runs on eight hits and one big error. With one out, sophomore Brian Martutartus (Carlsbad, CA / La Costa Canyon) reached on an infield hit to third. Junior Joe Conforti (Staten Island, NY / Farrell) followed with a walk before sophomore Jared Gruccio (Landisville, NJ / Buena Regional) opened the scoring with his first career extra-base hit, a RBI double to left field, plating Martutartus while advancing Conforti to third. Junior Damian Csakai (Freehold, NJ / Freehold) was intentionally walked, loading the bases to set up a force play at any base. The plan backfired as Wagner's top power threat junior Vin Avella (Matawan, NJ / CBA) blasted him a grand slam to left field, extending the Seahawk lead to 5-0.

Sophomore Matt Logan (Wall, NJ / Wall) got things rolling again, reaching base after being plunked in the elbow. After Yale starter Brandon Josselyn recorded the second out of the inning, senior Chris Drechsel (Cranford, NJ / Cranford) reached on an error by the firest baseman to keep the inning going. Sophomore Jon Lucas (Hackettstown, NJ / Hackettstown) took advantage of the Bulldog miscue, blasting a RBI-single to left, scoring Logan while moving Drechsel to second. Martutartus was hit by a pitch, loading the bases for the second time in the frame. Conforti continued the hit-parade with a RBI-single to left. With the bases still loaded, Gruccio, who entered the weekend without an extra-base hit in his career, blasted his second two-bagger of the inning, a two-run double to left. Csakai concluded the scoring with a two-run single to left, plating Gruccio and Conforti, to make it 11-0 while concluding the scoring in the second.

Wagner added one run in the fifth before pushing four across the plate in the top of the ninth to account for last five Seahawk runs. Yale would get on the board with two in the fourth and one in the fifth.

Junior RHP Matt Watson (Howell, NJ / Howell) pitched well in his season-debut, striking out three while scattering three runs on four hits and two walks over 5.0 innings. Sophomore Jack Rice (Middlesex, NJ / Immaculata) relieved Watson and hurled 3.0 innings of one-hit relief while striking out four. Pitching for the first time all year, the crafty lefthander retired nine of the 10 batters he faced, including the last seven in a row. Senior RHP Andrew Huebner (Hatfield, PA / North Penn) relieved Rice and recorded a 1-2-3 ninth inning with one strikeout.

All nine starters for the Green & White recorded hits, including seven who notched multiple-hits. Csakai led the offensive onslaught, going 4-6 with a career-high four RBI and two stolen bases. Lucas was 3-6 with three RBI and two runs while Drechsel was also 3-6 with two runs, rounding out the top-performers for Wagner.

Josselyn took the loss, striking out three while yielding 10 runs, five earned, on six hits and three walks over 1.2 innings.

NOTES – 26 of the Seahawks' 27 starters hit safely over Wagner's three games on the weekend … The Green & White recorded double-figures in runs over three-straight games for the first time since late in the 2000 season, one that would result in the Seahawks claiming their lone NEC title … With his second career grand slam, Avella has now homered in three-straight games … Wagner's bullpen did not allow a run over 7.2 innings of work on the weekend, striking out five while yielding just four hits and one walk … The Seahawks hit a blistering .407 (22-54) with runners in scoring position and .443 (35-79) with runners on base … Wagner returns to action next weekend with a three-game set at William & Mary, starting on Friday, March 13 at 4:00 pm.