BOX SCORE

Staten Island, NY - Sacred Heart bested Wagner 5-2 in the first game of a Northeast Conference (NEC) doubleheader at Richmond County Bank Ballpark. The Seahawks stranded eight runners while going 0-for-9 with runners in scoring position in falling to 18-25 and 11-11 in the NEC.

The Pioneers improved to 23-21 and 14-8 in the league behind LHP Jared Balbach (7-3), who struck out four while allowing two runs on seven hits and one walk over 7.0 innings in a complete-game effort.

Fifth-year senior RHP Matt Watson (Howell, NJ / Howell) fell to 3-4 with the loss, his first in 13 NEC starts dating back to 2008, striking out four while yielding five runs on nine hits and three walks.

Senior Vin Avella (Matawan, NJ / CBA) staked Wagner to the early lead with his NEC-leading 13th home run, a solo shot to right field leading off the bottom of the second inning.

Sacred Heart rallied to take the lead in the top of the third inning with three runs on three straight two-out hits.

The Seahawks got one of those runs back in the bottom of the third inning. Junior Jared Gruccio (Landisville, NJ / Buena Regional) was plunked leading off the frame. Sophomore Tommy Higgins' (Port Monmouth, NJ / Red Bank Catholic) moved Gruccio to third with a single through the right side on a perfectly executed hit-and-run. Gruccio then came around on a Seth Boyd (Jr., Perth Amboy, NJ / Perth Amboy) safety squeeze.

The Pioneers added to the lead with a pair of runs in the top of the fifth inning, extending the lead out to 5-2. The damage could have been worse but Watson escaped a bases-loaded, one out jam by striking out Dave Boisture before John Murphy was nabbed at home plate after the ball got away from Gaby Ramirez (Fr., San Juan, Puerto Rico / Perkiomen (PA)).

Wagner threatened in the bottom part of the sixth and seventh innings but could not dent the scoreboard.

Ramirez led a seven-hit Seahawk attack, going 2-for-3. Senior Damian Csakai (Freehold Township, NJ / Freehold Township) also was hit by a pitch for a school-record 16th time this year, besting Jack Scholz's previous record set in 1993.

Steve Tedesco and John Murphy each went 2-for-4, pacing the Pioneers.