BOX SCORE

Staten Island, NY – Wagner claimed its first-ever Northeast Conference (NEC) regular season championship with a 9-1 victory over Fairleigh Dickinson at Richmond County Bank Ballpark. The Seahawks picked up their school-record 30th win of the year while improving to a NEC-best 17-9. The Green & White will now face fourth-seeded Monmouth (15-11 NEC) on Thursday, May 21 at 12:00 pm in New Britain, CT. No. 2 Sacred Heart (16-10 NEC) and No. 3 CCSU (16-11 NEC) will play the second game at 3:30 pm.

After winning the first three games of the series by a total of just four runs, Wagner left nothing to chance in today's game breaking open a close game with an eight-run third inning while sending 12 batters to the plate.

Junior Damian Csakai (Freehold Township, NJ / Freehold Township) got things rolling with a single to lead off the bottom of the first. After advancing to second when sophomore Jared Gruccio (Landisville, NJ / Buena Regional) was hit by a pitch, Csakai stole his school-record 91st base, breaking former Atlanta Brave farmhand Joe Francisco's previous mark of 90 set in 1999. Sophomore Seth Boyd (Perth Amboy, NJ / Perth Amboy) brought around Csakai with an infield single, putting the Seahawks in front 1-0.

The Seahawks then put the game on ice with their aforementioned big third inning. Junior Vin Avella (Matawan, NJ / CBA) led off with an opposite-field double. Boyd followed with a walk before sophomore Matt Logan (Wall, NJ / Wall) loaded the bases up with a bunt single. Senior Chris Drechsel (Cranford, NJ / Cranford) made it 2-0 with a RBI infield single, plating Avella. Sophomore Jon Lucas (Hackettstown, NJ / Hackettstown) followed with a walk, forcing in Boyd. Classmate Brian Martutartus (Carlsbad, CA / La Costa Canyon) and junior Joe Conforti (Staten Island, NY / Farrell) followed with consecutive RBI singles, pushing the lead out to 5-0 while knocking starter Jonathan Scott out of the game. Csakai greeted reliever Ray Courtney with a two-run single through the left side, pushing the lead out to 7-0. Gruccio made it 8-0 with a RBI single. Boyd capped the scoring with a RBI ground out, pushing across Csakai.

That would be more than enough for the freshmen tandem of RHP Mark Holmes (Manalapan, NJ / Manalapan) and RHP Ryan Van Spronsen (Brantford, Ontario / Assumption College). Holmes started and spun 5.0 scoreless innings while striking out two and scattering four hits and a walk while improving to 3-1. Van Spronsen pitched the final 4.0 innings, striking out one while allowing just one run over 4.0 inning in picking up his first career save.

Despite the score, the game was not without theatrics. In the bottom of the eighth, senior closer Andrew Huebner (Hatfield, PA / North Penn) notched a pinch-hit single before being lifted for a pinch-runner. In the top of the ninth, Drechsel was lifted to a loud ovation in his final home game. However it was Fairleigh Dickinson's John Meadus that stole the show. The Knights' game-two starter, who also threw a complete-game 9.0 inning shutout against the Green & White in 2008, hit a blast to deep right field for a home run in his first and last collegiate at-bat. Van Spronsen then induced a ground out for the game's final out as Wagner claimed its first NEC Title of any kind since the men's basketball team both the regular season and tournament titles in 2003.

Eleven different Seahawks hit safely, including all nine starters, as the Green & White rapped out 15 hits while walking five times. Conforti led the onslaught going 3-4 with run and a RBI. Csakai recorded multiple-hits for the fourth-straight game and was 2-4 with two runs, two RBI and a stolen base. Martutartus went 2-4 with a triple, rounding out the top offensive-performers.

Scott (1-4) gave up eight runs on eight hits over 2.0 innings in suffering the loss.

Drechsel, Huebner and Kevin Rush (Metuchen, NJ / Metuchen) were all honored prior to the game.

For more information on the NEC Tournament CLICK HERE.