BOX SCORE
Senior Vin Avella's 17th home run of the year
Head Coach Joe Litterio's Post-Game Interview With The Pack Network

Bridgewater, NJ - No. 3 Wagner scored four times in each of the third and fifth inning en route to a dominating 9-4 win over No. 4 Monmouth in the elimination round at the 2010 Northeast (NEC) Conference Tournament presented by Akadema at TD Bank Ballpark. The Seahawks, which picked up their fourth win in five games this year against the Hawks, improve to 26-30 while the Hawks conclude the season with a 22-27 record.

The Green & White will now face No. 2 Central Connecticut tomorrow at 12:00 pm and be the home via of winning a coin toss.

Monmouth had the opportunity to strike first in the top of the second inning as Cal Costanzo singled leading off the frame before Bobby Dombrowski drew a full-count walk. Starting pitcher RHP Jon Lucas (Hackettstown) then rose to the challenge, inducing a fly out before freshman catcher Gaby Ramirez (San Juan, Puerto Rico / Perkiomen (PA)) threw out Costanzo trying to steal third. Lucas then exited the frame by getting Jamie Rosenkranz to line out to right field.

Wagner finally got on the board in the bottom of the third inning, plating four two-out runs. Lucas got the scoring going with a run-scoring single to center field, plating Ramirez, who opened the frame with a walk. Senior Vin Avella (Matawan, NJ / CBA) pushed the lead out 3-0 with his school-record 17th home run, a two-run shot that cleared the 402 foot sign in straight-away center field. Junior Kevin McDonnell (Bristol, CT / Avon Old Farms) followed with a walk after battling back from a 0-2 count. Junior Seth Boyd (Peth Amboy, NJ / Perth Amboy) then blooped a single to center field while advancing McDonnell to third base, before scoring on an errant throw to make it 4-0 Green & White.

The Seahawks added to the lead with four runs in the bottom of the fifth inning while chasing Hawks starter LHP Nick Meyers from the game. Avella got things going with a one-out bloop single to shallow right field before McDonnell followed with a bloop single of his own. Boyd then laced a RBI single through the right side, plating Avella while moving McDonnell to third. After Meyers induced a ground out head coach Dean Ehehalt was lifted for reliever RHP Neil Harm. Pinch-hitter Matt Logan (Wall, NJ / Wall) greeted Harm with a towering home run to deep right field on the first pitch he saw from the right-hander, giving Wagner a commanding 8-0 lead.

Monmouth got on the board in the top of the seventh inning when Nick Pulsonetti crushed a lead-off home run to left center, cutting the deficit to 8-1. The Hawks continued to threaten as Cal Costanzo and Bobby Dombrowksi followed with singles. However, Lucas struck out Danny Avella before inducing an inning-ending double play, the third turned by the Green & White in the game to evade further trouble.

Wagner got the run back in the bottom of the seventh when Avella fisted a double to right field before moving to third on a throwing error. He then scored on a McDonnell sacrifice fly, extending the lead out to 9-1.

Lucas (4-5) exited after 7.0 strong innings, striking out two while yielding one run on six hits and a pair of walks. Meyers (6-3) took the loss, striking out five while allowing eight runs, seven earned, on eight hits and three walks over 4.2 innings.

Monmouth provided the final 9-4 tally on a Dombrowski three-run home run in the top of the ninth inning on the fifth-year senior's final collegiate at-bat.

Sophomore RHP Mark Holmes (Manalapan, NJ / Manalapan) finished off the final 2.0 innings, capping the action with a strike out.

Avella, who broke his own single-season home run set a year ago, went 3-for-4 with 50th career home run, a double, three runs and two RBI. Boyd also recorded a pair of hits while Logan provided the knockout blow with his first home run of the year.

The Hawks, who were out-hit 10-9 by the Seahawks, were led by Dombrowski (2-3; HR; 3 RBI) and Pulsonetti (2-3; HR; double; 2 runs).

NOTES: Avella is now 4-for-8 (.500) with five runs, two home runs, a double and three RBI at the 2010 NEC Tournament ... For his career he is 12-for-30 (.400) with three home runs, two doubles and five RBI in seven career games ... The win was also the first win over Monmouth that wasn't decided by three runs or less since a 13-4 win over Monmouth in the 2004 NEC Tournament ... The Seahawks are also 3-4 against the Hawks in the NEC Tournament, all-time, while avenging last year's 14-8 loss in last year's tournament ... Also click HERE to see senior Damian Csakai's 233rd career hit and HERE for his 41st stolen base of the year.