BOX SCORE

West Long Branch, NJ – Sophomore LHP Jack Rice (Middlesex, NJ / Immaculata) spun 5.0 innings of one-run ball while leading Wagner to a 3-1 win over Monmouth in the first game of a doubleheader at the MU Baseball Field. The Seahawks are 15-14 and 5-5 in the Northeast Conference (NEC) while the Hawks fall to 18-15 and 7-3 in the NEC.

For the second-straight game, Wagner struck first going in front 1-0 in the top of the second. Sophomore Seth Boyd (Perth Amboy, NJ / Perth Amboy) opened up the inning with a double to right center. Senior Chris Drechsel (Cranford, NJ / Cranford) plated Boyd with a one-out single up the middle.

The Seahawks added to the lead in the top of the third on junior Vin Avella's (Matawan, NJ / CBA) RBI double to left center, plating Csakai, who led off the frame with an infield single.

Rice cruised through the opening four frames, yielding just three hits, one of which was erased on an inning-ending double play, and no walks.

The Green & White padded the lead with one run in the top of the fifth while chasing Monmouth starter RHP Ryan Buch. Csakai led off with a four-pitch walk, before moving to third on a base hit by sophomore Jared Gruccio (Landisville, NJ / Buena Regional). Avella then walked loading up the bases with no outs. Boyd greeted reliever Nick McNamara with a sacrifice fly to center field, plating Csakai while making it 3-0 Wagner.

Monmouth finally got to Rice with a single run in the bottom of the fifth. Bobby Dombrowski walked on four pitches with two outs and scored on Josh Boyd's RBI-triple to the right-field wall. Brett Holland then laid down a bunt that Rice scooped to Avella, getting Holland by a step.

Rice exited after 5.0 innings, striking out two while allowing just one run on four hits and one walk.

Seahawk closer senior RHP Andrew Huebner (Hatfield, PA / North Penn) entered in the bottom of the sixth and ran into trouble, loading the bases with just one out. Huebner escaped damage, striking out Paul Bottigliero before coaxing Tim McEndy into a ground out.

Huebner then retired the Hawks without incident in the bottom of the seventh, for his sixth save of the year. Rice improves to 1-4 with the win as Buch falls to 4-3.

Junior Joe Conforti (Staten Island, NY / Farrell), Csakai and Gruccio all recorded two hits, leading the nine-hit attack for the Green & White.

Ryan Terry and Nick Pulsonetti had two hits apiece to pace the Hawks.