BOX SCORE

Staten Island, NY – Junior RHP Matt Watson (Howell, NJ / Howell) improved to a NEC-best 9-1 as Wagner defeated Fairleigh Dickinson 7-6 while taking a big step toward locking up a tournament berth at Richmond County Bank Ballpark. Senior Andrew Huebner (Hatfield, PA / North Penn) also matched his own school-record with his 11th save of the year while junior Damian Csakai (Freehold Township, NJ / Freehold Township) stole his school-record setting 34th base of the year.

With the win the Seahawks match year's school-record win total while improving to 27-19 and 14-9 in the NEC. The Knights fall to 16-31 and 11-14 in the NEC. Sacred Heart and Monmouth each clinched playoff berths with wins today as Wagner needs only to win one tomorrow or have Mount St. Mary's lose to clinch a spot in the four-team field.

Though Watson did not have his best stuff, he found a way to win despite yielding a season-high five earned runs over 5.2 innings with five strikeouts and five walks. The crafty right-hander finishes up the regular season with a 9-1 record, including a perfect 7-0 during NEC-play, with a 3.10 ERA, 30 strikeouts and one save over 58.0 innings of work. He also moves into sixth place by himself on the all-time wins list with 15 and is just win away from Bill Willetts' single-season school record of 10 set in 1948.

Fairleigh Dickinson took the early lead with two runs on three hits in the top of the third, highlighted by Joe Martino's solo home run to right center leading off the frame.

Wagner immediately answered with four runs on six hits in the bottom part of the third. Sophomore Brian Martutartus (Carlsbad, CA / La Costa Canyon) led off with an infield single before junior Joe Conforti (Staten Island, NY / Farrell) tripled to right, cutting the deficit to 2-1. Csakai tied it up at 2-2 with a RBI single to right field. Csakai then stole his school-record 34th base. After moving over to third on a ground out, he scored on an infield single off the bat of junior Vin Avella (Matawan, NJ / CBA). Sophomore Seth Boyd (Perth Amboy, NJ / Perth Amboy) concluded the scoring with a RBI double, plating Avella while pushing the lead out to 4-2.

Fairleigh Dickinson got one of the runs back with a bases-loaded walk in the top of the fourth inning. Sophomore Jon Lucas opened up the bottom part of the fourth inning with a double. After moving to third on a fly out, Lucas scored on a Csakai single to center field, extending the lead out to 5-3.

The Knights got it to 5-4 on Matt Holsman's solo home run, leading off the top of the fifth. The Seahawks again answered with a two-out rally. Boyd doubled down the right-field line and scored on sophomore Matt Logan's (Wall, NJ / Wall) bloop-single to left field, making it 6-4 Wagner.

Fairleigh Dickinson kept attacking as Holsman singled home Vincent with one out in the top of the sixth, cutting it to 6-5.  After Watson walked Brian Dillon sophomore David Rees (Staten Island, NY / Xavier) entered and induced a lazy fly to Csakai to preserve the lead.

Wagner again added to the lead on Martutartus' RBI double to left field, plating senior Chris Drechsel (Cranford, NJ / Cranford) with what would be the eventual winning run. FDU closed to within 7-6 in top of the seventh on a Martino RBI double. Senior Kevin Rush (Metuchen, NJ / Metuchen) then entered and induced two ground-ball outs, escaping further damage.

The Knights had a chance to tie in the eighth as pinch-hitter Steven LaForge singled before advancing to second on a failed pick-off attempt. Rush then retired the next two batters before Huebner got the last four outs for his 11th save in as many opportunities.

Six different players recorded two hits for the Green & White, led by Boyd, who went 2-4 with two doubles and Csakai, who was 2-4 with two RBI.

Holman paced Fairleigh Dickinson, going 3-5 with a home run and two RBI. RHP Michael Strachman (3-2) struck out three and yielded six runs on 12 hits over 5.0 innings.

The teams continue their series with a Noon doubleheader tomorrow.