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Brooklyn, NY - Wagner plated three runs in the first inning and never looked back en route to an 8-4 victory over Long Island in the first game of a doubleheader at the LIU Field. With the win, the Seahawks improve to 7-14 and 5-4 in the Northeast Conference (NEC) while the Blackbirds fall to 11-10 and 3-2 in the league.

LIU got on the board in the bottom of the third inning with a pair unearned runs. With runners on second-and-third and two outs, Tito Marrero hit a grounder to third that junior Tommy Higgins (Port Monmouth NJ / Red Bank Catholic) knocked down but his throw to first pulled senior Jack Rice (Middlesex, NJ / Immaculata) off the base, allowing Sam Sciamarelli to score the Blackbirds' first run. Albert Faz followed with a single through the left side, chasing home Tyler Jones while cutting the deficit to 3-2.

The Green & White got those runs back in the top of the fourth inning. Conforti led off with a walk before scoring when Rice blasted this double to left center. Rice followed with a steal of third before coming around when sophomore Hayden Hunter (Santa Monica, CA / Notre Dame) lined this single up the middle, extending the Wagner lead out to 5-2.

LIU got one of those runs back in the bottom of the fifth inning. Jones drew a lead-off walk before moving to third on a pair of wild pitches. Drew Walsh brought home Jones on the ensuing play with an infield single, drawing the Blackbirds to 5-3. Junior RHP Mark Holmes (Manalapan, NJ / Manalapan) evaded further damage when he induced an inning-ending line out to senior Kevin McDonnell (Bristol, CT / Avon Old Farms), stranding runners at the corners.

Holmes, who would improve to 2-3 with the win, exited after hurling 5.0 strong innings. He yielded three runs, one earned, on seven hits and one walk while striking out two.

The Blackbirds drew to 5-4 in the bottom of the sixth inning. Pete Leonello doubled to center field before scoring on Sam Sciamarelli's two-out single up the middle.

The Seahawks got that run back in the top of the seventh inning. Brown led off with this double down the left field line before moving to third on a Boyd ground out. McDonnell then plated Brown with this single off the third base bag, extending the lead out to 6-4.

The Green & White added a pair of two-out runs in the top of the eighth inning. Conforti led off with a bunt single before Hunter drew a walk. Later in the frame with the runners in scoring position at second-and-third and two outs, Brown chased home Confort with an infield single before Hunter scored on an errant throw, extending the Wagner lead to 8-4.

Sophomore RHP Dakota Dvorak (Pompano Beach, FL / North Broward Prep) then escaped a first-and-third, no out situation unscathed in the bottom part of the frame, capping a strong 3.0 innings of relief.

Senior David Rees (Staten Island, NY / Xavier) entered in the ninth and fired a scoreless ninth, capped by this out that iced the Wagner win.

The Seahawks, which outhit the Blackbirds by a 13-11 count, were led by Brown, Boyd, Lucas, Conforti and Rice – all of whom recorded multiple-hits in the game.

Leonello, Sciamarelli and Walsh each notched two hits, pacing LIU. Senior LHP Adam Sauter (2-3) assumed the loss, allowing five runs on six hits over 4.0 innings.