BOX SCORE

New Britain, CT - Wagner jumped out to a 5-0 lead after three innings before holding off a late-charging Central Connecticut squad en route to a 7-5 victory in the second game of a doubleheader at the CCSU Baseball Field. The Seahawks, who dropped the first game 7-1, improve to 21-28 and 13-14 in the Northeast Conference (NEC) while the Blue Devils fall to 25-19 and 14-13 in the league.

The win coupled with the fact that Monmouth (13-15 NEC) and Quinnipiac (13-15 NEC) were each swept in their respective four-game sets leaves the Green & White in good shape for the upcoming conference tournament. Sacred Heart (19-9) clinched the first spot with their four wins over the Hawks.

After being stymied for the first two games on offense, Wagner finally broke through with three runs on three doubles and one error in the top of the first inning. Junior Brian Martutartus (Carlsbad, CA / La Costa Canyon) doubled down the left field line with one out before sophomore Tommy Higgins (Port Monmouth, NJ / Red Bank Catholic) followed with a double to left center, scoring Martutartus while giving the Seahawks their first lead of the weekend. Senior Vin Avella (Matawan, NJ / CBA) then reached on a throwing error, bringing around Higgins. Junior Jon Lucas (Hackettstown, NJ / Hackettstown) concluded the scoring with a run-scoring double to left center, making it 3-0..

The Green & White extended the lead out to 5-0 in the top of the third inning with Avella's 15th home run of the year, a two-run shot to left center, plating Martutartus, who led off frame with his second double of the game.

Wagner added another run in the top of the fourth inning. Gaby Ramirez (San Juan, Puerto Rico / Perkiomen (PA)) led off with a single to center field. After a balk moved him to second, junior Seth Boyd (Perth Amboy, NJ / Perth Amboy) singled over Ramirez to third. The freshman backstop then came around to score on a double-play grounder, extending the lead out to 6-0.

In the bottom of the fourth inning, Pat Epps got CCSU on the board with his NEC-leading 16th home run of the year, a solo shot that just barely cleared the right field wall. Later in the frame, Richie Tri laced a two-out, two-run single through the left side, plating Mitch Wells and Tommy Meade.

The Seahawks got one of those runs back with a two-out rally in the top of the sixth inning. Ramirez singled up the middle before Boyd moved him to third with a single through the right side. Ramirez then came around on a wild pitch, extending the Green & White lead to 7-3.

The Blue Devils would tack on single runs in the bottom of the sixth and seventh innings before junior LHP David Rees (Staten Island, NY / Xavier) induced a pop out on his only pitch of the game for his fourth save of the year.

Senior RHP Andy Wells (Staten Island, NY / St. Peter's) improved to 2-2 with the win, striking out four while allowing four runs on seven hits and one walk over 6.0 strong innings.

Leading the way on offense for Wagner was Martutartus, who went 3-for-4 with three doubles and two runs, and was 5-for-6 with four doubles and a walk in the doubleheader split. Martutartus is now second on the team with a .309 average and has 17 doubles on the season, moving into fifth place on the all-time single-season doubles list.

Rounding out the multiple hit performers for the Green & White were Ramirez and Boyd, who each added a pair of hits as the Seahawks notched 10 hits.

Allaire, Epps, Tri and Kyle Zarotney all had two hits, pacing a nine-hit CCSU attack.

LHP Jack Greenhouse (4-2) assumed the loss, striking out two while allowing five runs, three earned, on five hits over 3.0 innings.

The teams conclude their series with a game tomorrow at 1:00 pm.