BOX SCORE

New Britain, CT – A day after using some late heroics to win, No. 1 Wagner saw the role reversed in a 5-4 loss to No. 2 Sacred Heart in an elimination game at New Britain Stadium. The Seahawks are now eliminated from the Northeast Conference (NEC) Tournament and finish the season with a record of 31-21. In arguably the finest season in school history, the Green & White broke the school-record for victories as junior RHP Matt Watson was named NEC Pitcher of the Year and head coach Joe Litterio, the NEC's top coach. The Pioneers improve to 29-26-1 while moving on to the championship round.

Today's game also marked the end of the line for seniors Chris Drechsel (Cranford, NJ / Cranford), Andrew Huebner (Hatfield, PA / North Penn) and Kevin Rush (Metuchen, NJ / Metuchen). The three standouts have their names littered throughout the school's record book and graduate having won a combined 93 games, which represents the most by any senior class in school history.

Sacred Heart struck for the game's first inning in the opening stanza. Mike Drowne singled off Wagner pitcher LHP Jack Rice (Middlesex, NJ / Immaculata). Drowne then stole second before advancing to third on a long fly out. Jeff Hanson brought Drowne around with a line-drive single to the shortstop.

Wagner immediately answered that run with a single tally in the top of the second inning. Sophomore Seth Boyd (Perth Amboy, NJ / Perth Amboy) led off with his team-leading 15th double and was advanced to third on a Drechsel sacrifice bunt. Sophomore Jon Lucas (Hackettstown, NJ / Hackettstown) plated Boyd with a single through the right side, tying the game up at 1-1.

The Seahawks assumed their first lead of the game with a run in the top of the third inning. Sophomore Brian Martutartus (Carlsbad, CA / La Costa Canyon) led off with a single to left field. After stealing his 18th base of the year, junior Vin Avella (Matawan, NJ / CBA) blasted a single to left field, scoring Martutartus while giving Wagner the 2-1 lead.

The Pioneers rallied in the bottom of the fourth inning, loading up the bases with no outs on a walk sandwiched around two singles. Sacred Heart plated the tying run with a Paul Schmidt sacrifice fly. The Pioneers again loaded the bases with one out but was unable to further dent the scoreboard. Rice induced a line-drive fielder's choice, nailing the lead runner at the plate. After entering due to an injury to Rice, Rush induced a fielder's choice grounder to quell the threat.

Martutartus reclaimed the lead for the Green & White at 3-2 in the top of the fifth inning, blasting a home run to left field off the top of the “Stanley Hit It Long!” sign.

Wagner added to the lead with a run in the top of the seventh inning. Junior Joe Conforti (Staten Island, NY / Farrell) led off with a four-pitch walk before stealing second. Martutartus extended the lead out to 4-2 with a single through the left side, plating the speedy Conforti.

After entering the game Rush was nearly unhittable, reeling off 12-straight outs, including three 1-2-3 frames before allowing Jeff Heppner's 13th home run of the year with one out in the bottom of the eighth inning. Rush retired the next batter and exited after the eighth inning having spun 4.1 innings of one-run ball.

The Pioneers continued their momentum into the bottom of the ninth inning. Ryan Lynch led off with a line-drive single off the glove of Avella. After a force out at second, Steve Tedesco singled Paul Schmidt over to third. The throw to third went into the Seahawk dugout allowing Schmidt to score and Tedesco, who the umpires said was on the way to second base, to advance to third base. With the outfield drawn in, Drowne singled over senior Damian Csakai's (Freehold Township, NJ / Freehold Township) head in center field to plate Tedesco with the winning run.

Martutartus led the 10-hit Wagner attack by going 3-4 with his second home run of the year and two runs. For the tournament, the sure-handed Martutartus hit a team-best .538 (7-13) and was named to the All-Tourney team. Conforti and Gruccio each added two hits.

Huebner (1-2) took the loss, giving up both runs on three hits. Chris Zaccherio (5-5) struck out three over 3.0 scoreless innings.

Drowne, Hanson, Heppner and Lynch each had two hits, pacing the Pioneers.