BOX SCORE

Staten Island, NY - Wagner celebrated Senior Night in style with a 6-3 victory over Quinnipiac in the first of four games under the lights at Richmond County Bank Ballpark. Fifth-year senior RHP Matt Watson (Howell, NJ / Howell) picked up his school-record matching 19th win in helping the Green & White improve to 22-29 and 14-15 in the Northeast Conference (NEC) while the Bobcats fall to 14-36 and 13-16 in the NEC.

Watson equals former teammate Joe Testa, Bill Willetts and Don Finley, all of whom collected 19 wins.

The game was also the ninth-straight between the teams decided by two runs or less and the fifth-straight victory for Wagner over Quinnipiac at home. The Seahawks also improve to 13-4 at home on the year while the Bobcats fall to 6-22 on the road.

Watson improved to 4-5 on the year, allowing three runs, two earned, on nine hits over a career-best matching 8.0 innings of work. Junior LHP David Rees (Staten Island, NY / Xavier) picked up his fifth save of the season with a perfect ninth inning while making his school-record 27th appearance of the year. Rees has 30 strikeouts over 31.0 innings of work while posting a 2.61 ERA on the year.

Quinnipiac took the early lead with a first-inning run. Mickey Amanti led off with a single to center field before stealing second base with one out. Following a walk, Joe Poletsky brought around Amanti with a single up the middle.

Wagner threatened in the bottom of the third inning, loading up the bases with one out but were denied as Bobcat starter RHP Michael Oskandy induced an a fly out and a ground out.

The Seahawks finally broke through in the bottom of the fourth inning with a pair of runs. Senior Kevin McDonnell (Bristol, CT / Avon Old Farms) led off with a single through the middle before junior Jon Lucas (Hackettstown, NJ / Hackettstown) hit a two-run home run to left field.

The Green & White then broke the game open with a four-run fifth inning while batting around. Senior Damian Csakai (Freehold Township, NJ / Freehold Township) led off with a walk before moving to second on Brian Martutartus' (Carlsbad, CA / La Costa Canyon) third single of the game, a line-drive up the middle. Csakai then scored a Vin Avella (Sr., Matawan, NJ / CBA) single through the left side. Junior Seth Boyd (Perth Amboy, NJ / Perth Amboy) drove in the second run of the inning with a RBI single through the right side, plating Martutartus while moving Avella to third base. Following a strikeout, Lucas plated Avella with a sacrifice fly to deep right field, while pushing Boyd to third base. Boyd would come around to score on a Bobcat miscue on the ensuing play, extending the lead to 6-1.

Quinnipiac got one of those runs back in the top of the seventh inning. Mike Bartlett doubled with one out before scoring on a wild pitch and a passed ball.

The Bobcats cut the deficit to 6-3 with another single tally in the top of the eighth inning. After loading the bases with one out, Gabe Guerino hit a sacrifice fly to left field. But that would be it for the visitors as Watson induced his 14th ground out of the evening to end the frame.

Eight Seahawks reached base safely led by Martutartus, who went 3-for-5 with a run. Lucas also notched multiple hits, going 2-for-3 with a home run and three RBI. Avella also matched former teammate Joey DiGeronimo for second place on the all-time hits list with his 219th career safety in the Wagner's big fifth inning.

Quinnipiac matched Wagner with nine hits and was led by Amanti, who went 2-for-4 with a double, run and stolen base. Oskandy (2-7) took the loss in a complete game effort, striking out eight while yielding six runs, five earned, on ninth hits and four walks over 8.0 innings.

The teams will resume their series tomorrow with a Noon doubleheader.