BOX SCORE

Staten Island, NY - Wagner moved above .500 for the first time all year while maintaining its hold on first place in the Northeast Conference (NEC) with a 5-2 victory in the second game of today's doubleheader at Richmond County Bank Ballpark.

The Seahawks, who won game one by a 5-3 count, improve to 15-14 and 10-5 in the NEC while the visiting Hawks fall to 13-16 and 7-8 in the NEC. The Green & White will look to take the series with a victory in tomorrow's 12:00 pm series-finale.

Wagner scored four runs while batting around in the bottom of the second inning to take the early lead before holding off a late-charging Monmouth squad.

For the second-straight game, the Hawks struck for a first-inning run. Ryan Terry singled with one out, moved to second on a Jamie Rosenkranz single before scoring on Nick Pulsonetti's RBI-single to right field.

In the bottom of the second inning, senior Vin Avella (Matawan, NJ / CBA) led off with a walk before Joe Jamison (West Caldwell, N J / James Caldwell) followed suit with a free pass of his own. After a Brian Martutartus (Jr., Carlsbad, CA / La Costa Canyon) sacrifice bunt moved the pair over to second-and-third, junior Jared Gruccio (Landisville, NJ / Buena Regional) was hit by a pitch, loading up the bases.

Junior Seth Boyd (Perth Amboy, NJ / Perth Amboy) tied the game up at 1-1 with a bloop single to shallow left field that scored Avella while keeping the bases loaded. Freshman Gaby Ramirez (San Juan, Puerto Rico / Perkiomen (PA)) was then plunked, forcing in Jamison. Sophomore Tommy Higgins (Port Monmouth, NJ / Red Bank Catholic) then delivered the big blow with a two-run, two-out single through the right side that extended the lead out to 4-1 while chasing Monmouth starter LHP Chris Perret after just 1.2 innings of work.

The Hawks got one of the runs back in the top of the fourth on a Bobby Dombrowski sacrifice fly that scored Rosenkranz, who led off with a double.

The Seahawks immediately got that run back in the bottom part of the frame. Boyd led off with a double before stealing second and coming around on a Damian Csakai (Sr., Freehold Township, NJ / Freehold Township) sacrifice fly.

Monmouth chased starter RHP Mark Holmes (So, Manalapan, NJ / Manalapan) in the top of the fifth inning as David Rees (Staten Island, NY / Xavier) quelled a two-on, two-out situation by inducing Nick Pulsonetti into fly out to left field.

Rees worked a perfect sixth inning before exiting for junior RHP Ian Karlsson (Brooklyn, NY / Xaverian). Karlsson worked his way around some early trouble before closing the door with a scoreless seventh inning for his team-best fifth save of the season, highlighted by a pair of strikeouts.

Pitching for just the third time all year, Holmes (1-0) picked up the win, striking out two while allowing two runs on six hits and two walks over 4.2 innings. Perret (0-2) surrendered four runs on two hits, two walks and two hit batsmen.

Despite recording only four hits, eight different Wagner players reached base safely. Boyd led the way, going 2-for-3 with a double, RBI and two runs. Rosenkranz notched two of Monmouth's eight hits as the Hawks accrued eight hits in the game.

NOTES: Karlsson's fifth save of the year moves him into fourth place on the single-season saves' list … Four of his five saves have come during NEC-play ... Boyd's two-hit performance extends his hitting streak to 12 games while raising his average to .325 … He has also hit safely in all 10 NEC Games that he had a plate appearance and is batting .515 (17-33) against conference pitching … Wagner has swept the last two doubleheaders from Monmouth ... The first three games of this weekend's series have been decided by three runs or less as the Seahawks are 12-4 in games decided by three runs or less against the Hawks since 2004 … The Green & White are also 7-2 in NEC games decided by three runs or less … Both teams struggled with runners in scoring position in today's doubleheader with Wagner going 5-for-20 (.250) and Monmouth 3-for-16 (.188) … Boyd, Higgins and Jon Lucas (Jr., Hackettstown, NJ / Hackettstown) combined to go 8-for-16 (.500) over both of today's games with six RBI and two doubles while the rest of the squad went 3-for-29 (.103) … Holmes had previously pitched just 3.1 innings … Rees has five strikeouts in 4.2 scoreless innings of work on the week and has not allowed a run over 6.0 NEC-innings ... Wagner is now 40-14 (38-14 in Staten Island) in home games since moving to Richmond County Bank Ballpark, including 27-8 in NEC games ... Additionally, the Green & White are 24-6 in games decided by three runs or less during that time at home, including 19-4 during conference-play ... Coach Litterio's mentor, Rutgers coach Fred Hill collected his 1000th career victory in the Scarlet Knights' 6-1 victory over South Florida today ... Click Here for the Rutgers' recap.