BOX SCORE
BOX SCORE (PDF)
Hamden, CT - Junior RHP
Ryan Van Spronsen (Brantford, Ontario / Assumption College) fired 6.0 solid innings of two-run ball while senior
Jon Lucas (Hackettstown, NJ / Hackettstown) went 3-for-3 with a home run, three RBI, two doubles and two runs while powering Wagner to a decisive 14-3 victory over Quinnipiac in the first game of a doubleheader at the QU Baseball Field.
One game after being plunked four times, junior
Eddie Brown (Edison, NJ / St. Joseph's (Metuchen)) did the hitting in today's game, going 2-for-5 with a two-run home run, a double, three RBI and two runs. Brown along with Lucas paced a 15-hit Seahawk attack that saw all nine regulars hit safely en route to posting a season-best 14 runs.
With the victory, the Seahawks improve to 12-26 and 10-13 in the Northeast Conference (NEC) while the Bobcats fall to 14-21 and 10-13 in the league.
After threatening to score in the game's first two frames, Wagner finally broke through in the top of the third inning. With one out, senior
Joe Conforti (Staten Island, NY / Farrell) muscled a single just over the second baseman's head.
Brown then crushed this two-run home run deep over the left field fence on a 0-1 offering from Quinnipiac RHP Anthony Cinelli while scoring Conforti and staking the Seahawks to a 2-0 lead.
The Green & White added to the lead in the top of the fourth inning with a single run.
Lucas clouted this doubled to left center, his second of the game, leading off the frame. Sophomore
Nick Alfano (Coral Springs, FL / North Broward Prep) followed with a sacrifice bunt that moved Lucas to third. Sophomore
Gaby Ramirez (San Juan, Puerto Rico / Perkiomen (PA))
then laced this single up the middle, scoring Lucas for the third Wagner run of the game.
Meanwhile on the mound, Van Spronsen was perfect through the first three frames while recording three strikeouts. The Canadian native ran into his first trouble of the game in the bottom of the fourth. Ben Farina reached on an error to end Van Spronsen's perfect game bid but was erased one out later when he was gunned out at second base on a perfect throw from Ramirez. Mickey Amanti then drew a walk before Chris Migani laced a ground rule double to left field. After falling behind 2-0 in the count to Kyle Nisson, Van Spronsen battled back to induce an inning-ending fly out to Conforti in center.
The Seahawks delivered the knockout punch in the top of the fifth. With one out, junior
Tommy Higgins (Edison, NJ / Red Bank Catholic) drew a full-count walk. Senior
Kevin McDonnell (Bristol, CT / Avon Old Farms) moved Higgins to third on a successful hit-and-run
with this single through the right side before Lucas smashed his second home run of the weekend,
this three-run shot to deep right field that extended the Wagner lead out to 6-0.
Higgins pushed the lead out to 7-0 in the top of the sixth inning
with this run-scoring single.
Quinnipiac got on the board with a pair of sacrifice flies in the bottom part of the frame before the Seahawks plated seven runs on five hits while sending 13 batters to plate in assuming an insurmountable 14-2 lead.
Van Spronsen (1-3) was solid in collecting his first win of the year, yielding just two unearned runs on two hits and three walks with three strikeouts over 6.0 strong innings.
Freshman RHP
Matt Gavin (St. James, NY / Smithtown East) came on in relief of Van Spronsen and closed out the game, pitching the last inning while allowing an unearned run as the Green & White won going away by a 14-3 score.
Cinelli (3-3) suffered the loss, yielding seven runs, six earned, on 10 hits over 6.0 innings.