BOX SCORE
BOX SCORE (PDF)
Brooklyn, NY - Long Island scored two runs in the bottom of the ninth inning en route to a 3-2 victory over Wagner in the series finale at LIU Field, giving the Blackbirds a series split with the Seahawks.
Brad Greve's bases-loaded single with one out in the bottom of the ninth inning provided the difference in the second game of today's doubleheader. Wagner won game one by an 11-0 count.
The Seahawks fall to 8-16 and 6-6 in the Northeast Conference (NEC) while the Blackbirds improve to 13-11 and 5-3 in the league.
For the fifth-straight game Wagner started the scoring in the game's opening frame. Junior
Eddie Brown (Edison, NJ / St. Joseph's (Metuchen))
led off with this solo home run, crushing a 3-1 offering over the left field fence while staking the Seahawks to the early 1-0 lead. Following a fly out, senior
Kevin McDonnell (Bristol, CT / Avon Old Farms) belted a single to center field before stealing second but would be stranded in scoring position as Brad Reimer stopped the bleeding by inducing a pair of fly outs.
Over the next seven innings the Green & White could only manage two more hits, a
Seth Boyd (Sr., Perth Amboy, NJ / Perth Amboy) double and a
Jack Rice (Sr., Middlesex, NJ / Immaculata) single.
Fortunately for Wagner, junior
Ryan Van Spronsen (Brantford, Ontario / Assumption College) turned in his best outing of the season. The Canadian native retired the first eight batters he faced and didn't allow a hit until the fourth inning. Van Spronsen kept LIU off the scoreboard until the bottom of the sixth inning when Tito Marrero doubled down the left field line with two outs, plating Drew Walsh, who previously drew a walk.
Van Spronsen exited after 7.0 strong innings, striking out four while yielding just one run on four hits and a pair of walks.
Sophomore RHP
Dakota Dvorak (Pompano Beach, FL / North Broward Prep) entered in the eighth inning and hurled a scoreless eighth inning before the Seahawks took a 2-1 lead in the top of the ninth inning.
Senior
Jon Lucas (Hackettstown, NJ / Hackettstown) doubled to center field with one out before being lifted for pinch runner
Cliff Brantley (Fr., Staten Island, NY / Port Richmond). On the next play, senior
Joe Conforti (Staten Island, NY / Farrell) plated with Brantley with a single up the middle, giving the Green & White a 2-1 lead.
Unfortunately, the Blackbirds rallied for the second-straight day, plating a pair of runs against senior LHP
David Rees (Staten Island, NY / Xavier). After yielding a lead-off walk, Matt Molbury singled through the left side, moving pinch runner Stan Simmons to second base. After a sacrifice bunt moved Simmons and pinch runner Ryan Rosthenhausler to second-and-third, Diego Perez was intentionally walked. Perez then singled up the middle scoring Simmons and Rosthenhausler to secure the victory over the Green & White.
Rees (2-2) yielded two runs on two hits and two walks in assuming the loss while LIU RHP Evan Zerff (2-0) earned the win, scattering one run on two hits over 1.1 innings. Reimer, like Van Spronsen, earned a no-decision, allowing one run on four hits over 7.2 innings.
NOTES: Both teams notched six hits … Boyd and McDonnell each extended their hitting streaks to 10 games … Despite splitting with LIU this weekend, Wagner is still 23-5 against LIU since the 2004 season … McDonnell batted a blistering .438 (7-16) with seven RBI, three runs, three stolen bases, one double and one home run this weekend against LIU and is now hitting .346 (18-52) over 16 career games against the Blackbirds … McDonnell also raised his average a team-best .353 (30-85) on the year – including a team-high .400 (16-40) during conference play - and paces the squad in hits (30), doubles (7), home runs (2), RBI (18), OBP (.424) and slugging (.529) … In two career games against LIU, Van Spronsen has posted a 0.60 ERA with nine strikeouts, against just three walks, over 15.0 innings … The Seahawks hit .200 (1-5) with runners in scoring position in the second game after recording a .412 (7-17) average in the first game … Wagner is next in action on Wednesday, April 6 at 3:00 pm when the Seahawks travel to St. John's before returning home to host Bryant this weekend (April 8-10).