BOX SCORE

Rock Hill, SC - Junior RHP Mark Holmes (Manalapan, NJ / Manalapan) allowed just one run and six hits over 6.0 innings while the Wagner offense erupted for eight runs and 15 hits en route to a rousing 8-5 victory over Winthrop in the Seahawks' third game of the Johnny Gill Memorial Classic at the Winthrop Ballpark.

Wagner has now defeated Winthrop for the third time in the last five years while improving to 1-2 on the year while the homestanding Eagles fall to 2-4. The Seahawks, which lost yesterday to Winthrop by a 9-2 count, will now look to avenge Friday's 12-2 loss to Kent State tomorrow when the teams play an 11:00 am matinee.

The game was a pitcher's duel over the first three innings with the teams combining for just one hit.

Wagner finally broke through in the top of the fourth inning. Senior Joe Conforti (Staten Island, NY / Farrell) led off the frame with a triple down the right field line before classmate Seth Boyd (Perth Amboy, NJ / Perth Amboy) plated Conforti with a double to left center on the first pitch he saw. Boyd, however, was thrown out trying to steal third on the next play.

Senior Kevin McDonnell (Bristol, CT / Avon Old Farms) then tripled to right field. He then came around to score on classmate Jon Lucas' (Hackettstown, NJ / Hackettstown) RBI double down the right field line, extending the Seahawk lead out to 2-0 while recording the Green & White's third extra base hit of the inning. Sophomore Gaby Ramirez (San Juan, Puerto Rico / Perkiomen (PA) pushed Lucas to third with an infield hit but the pair were stranded when Winthrop starter Wade Newman induced a pair of routine fly balls, ending the threat.

The Eagles rallied to mount their first serious threat of the game in the bottom part of the frame, loading the bases with two outs. However, Holmes induced an inning-ending fielder's choice while maintaining the 2-0 Seahawk lead.

The Green & White added to the lead with three runs in the top of the fifth inning. Freshman Ian Miller (Downington, PA / Bishop Shanahan) doubled with one out while chasing Newman from the game. Conforti then bunted Miller over to third with an infield hit. Boyd brought Miller around with a RBI single to right field on the first pitch he saw. Conforti and Boyd moved to second-and-third before coming around to score when Lucas reached via a fielding error, extending the Wagner lead to 5-0.

Winthrop would get one of those runs back in the bottom of the fifth inning on a Cam Walters RBI fielder's choice that plated Matt Pierpont before Holmes stranded a runners at the corners by inducing an inning-ending double play.

The Eagles would continue to fight, loading up the bases in the bottom of the sixth inning with just one out. However, Holmes rose to the occasion striking out Pierpont before coaxing Patrick Gamblin into an inning-ending ground out while capping a solid six-inning performance.

Wagner extended the lead out to 7-1 in the top of the seventh inning with a pair of runs. Senior Jack Rice (Middlesex, NJ / Immaculata) notched a two-out RBI single to right field on the first pitch he saw, plating senior Kevin McDonnell (Bristol, CT / Avon Old Farms), who reached earlier in the frame on a bunt single. The Seahawks capped the scoring in the frame when Ramirez scored on a Winthrop throwing error.

The Green & White tacked one more run in the top of the eighth inning. Miller led off with a walk before moving over to third on a wild pitch and a balk. The Keystone Native came around to score on a Boyd sacrifice fly to extend the lead out to 8-1.

Sophomore RHP Dakota Dvorak (Pompano Beach, FL / North Broward Prep) bridged the gap from Holmes to reigning All-NEC Second Team closer David Rees (Staten Island, NY / Xavier) with scoreless innings in each of the seventh and eighth inning.

Winthrop rallied for four runs in the bottom of the ninth inning before Rees got the final two outs, preserving the third Wagner win over their rivals from the Big South Conference in the last four years.

Holmes, who faced the minimum over the first 3.2 frames struck out three while yielding just one run on six hits over 6.0 solid innings of work.

Freshman Connor Abreu (Piscataway, NJ / Piscataway) (2-4), Boyd (2-4; 3 RBI, run, double), Conforti (2-5; 2 runs, triple), McDonnell (2-4; 2 runs, triple), Miller (2-5; 2 runs, 2 SB) and Rice (2-5; RBI) all recorded multiple-hits for the Green & White.

Eddie Rohan paced a 10-hit Winthrop attack, going 3-for-5.