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Bridgeport, CT - Sacred Heart rallied for a 5-4 victory over Wagner in the season-finale for the Seahawks at Harbor Yard. The Pioneers, who swept this weekend's four-game series, advance to the upcoming Northeast Conference (NEC) Tournament with a record of 31-21 and 23-9 in the NEC while the Green & White conclude the campaign at 18-33 and 12-20 in the NEC.

After failing to get a base runner on base over the first three frames, Wagner erupted for three runs in the top of the fourth inning while assuming an early 3-0 lead.

Senior Joe Conforti (Staten Island, NY / Farrell) was hit on the foot leading off the inning. Junior Eddie Brown (Edison, NJ / St. Joseph's (Metuchen)) followed with this line-drive double to left field, easily scoring Conforti for the first run of the game. After RHP MJ Schifano retired the next two batters via strikeouts, senior Kevin McDonnell (Bristol, CT / Avon Old Farms) drilled his team-best matching fourth home run of the year, this two-run shot to left field while giving the Seahawks a 3-0 lead.

Sacred Heart responded with a pair of runs in the home half of the fourth inning. Steve Tedesco was hit by a pitch leading off the frame before moving to second on a one-out Robert Griffith single. Following a strike out, Hunter Phillips delivered a two-out, run-scoring single up the middle that scored Tedesco. Chris Whittemore followed with another two-out, run-scoring single, plating Griffith while cutting the lead to 3-2. However, the damage could have been worse had it not been for the arm of Conforti as the Green & White centerfielder threw out Phillips trying to go from first-to-third with a perfect strike.

Wagner immediately got that run back in the top of the fifth inning with a two-out rally. Conforti started the frame off with this two-out single through the right side. He then stole second before advancing to third on the errant throw from the catcher. After Brown drew a four-pitch walk, senior Seth Boyd (Perth Amboy, NJ / Perth Amboy) delivered this single up the middle, chasing home Conforti.

The Seahawks threatened to add to the lead in the top of the sixth inning. Junior Tommy Higgins (Port Monmouth, NJ / Red Bank Catholic) reached on a one-out error before moving to third on a Hayden Hunter (Jr., Santa Monica, CA / Notre Dame) single to right field. Unfortunately, the Pioneers induced an inning-ending double play, keeping the Green & White at bay.

Sacred Heart rallied in the bottom part of the frame with a pair of runs. With two outs, Phillips lined a triple to right center that a diving McDonnell just missed, plating Griffith and Rob Murphy while tying the game up at 4-4.

The Pioneers went ahead in the top of the seventh inning with a single run but the damage could have been worse. With the bases loaded and no outs, Steve Tedesco brought home Chris Perez with a ground out while moving Dave Boisture and MJ Schifano to second-and-third. JJ Edwards then hit a grounder to Boyd and the Wagner shortstop got the lead runner in a rundown between third and home. After Hunter tagged Boisture, he spun and threw a bullet to second to nail Edwards for the third out of the inning.

Sacred Heart threatened again in the bottom of the eighth inning, putting runners on second-and-third with one out. Senior LHP David Rees (Staten Island, NY / Xavier) induced a lazy fly to center that Conforti corralled. On the play, Griffith beat the throw home but was ruled out for leaving third early, thus giving the Wagner centerfielder his second assist of the afternoon.

The Seahawks threatened in the top of the ninth inning when Hunter laced this one-out double to left field, which almost cleared the fencet. Unfortunately, the Green & White could not get any closer as Chris Dionisio struck out the next batter before inducing a game-ending ground out.

Freshman RHP Ryan Casey (Paramus, NJ / St. Joseph Regional) was solid in his first collegiate start, striking out three while not walking a batter and allowing four runs on seven hits over 6.0 strong innings. Sophomore RHP Christian Rautenstrauch (Charlotte, NC / Providence Day) fell to 2-2 on the year in defeat.

Hunter was the lone multi-hit performer for Wagner, going 2-for-4 with a double. Conforti had a solid game, finishing up 1-for-2 with two runs, two hit-by-pitches and a stolen base. Brown was the only other Wagner player  to reach base twice on the day, going 1-for-3 with a RBI double and a walk.

Phillips paced the Pioneers, which outhit the Seahawks 10-7, going 2-for-3 with a triple, three RBI and a sacrifice bunt while Griffith was 3-for-4 with a pair of runs
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Sacred Heart RHP John Hermanson (6-1) earned the win, yielding one run on three hits and a walk over 4.0 innings while Dionisio collected his first save with a scoreless ninth.

NOTES: The game marked the final contest for Boyd, Conforti, Dale Hering (Belle Mead, NJ / Montgomery), Jon Lucas (Hackettstown, NJ / Hackettstown), McDonnell, Jack Rice (Middlesex, NJ / Immaculata) and Rees … McDonnell's fourth home run of the year matches Brown for the most on the team while also pacing the team with 31 RBI, 33 runs, 26 walks, 14 stolen base and six multi-RBI games to go along with a .299 average and eight outfield assists ... His fourth-inning home run also moved him past former teammate Matt Mastrianni into sixth place on the all-time hits list with 203 ... McDonnell finishes his career ranked among the top-10 in games (3rd), at-bats (5th), runs (6th), RBI (9th), doubles (10th) and walks (10th) ... Boyd caps the year as the team's top hitter, just edging Higgins out (.330-.329), while also pacing the squad in hits (59), doubles (16) and multi-hit games (16) ... For his career, he finished with a .299 average and ranks fifth all-time with 211 hits and also is among the school-leaders in games (4th), at-bats (3rd), runs (5th), doubles (3rd), RBI (7th) and stolen bases (7th) ... Conforti matched McDonnell with his 14th stolen base of the year and finishes up with a .271 average, including going .330 in NEC-play ... Lucas (158 hits) and Conforti (127 hits) also rank 13th and tied for 32nd in school history ... Today's game was also the school-record 85th career appearance by Rees ... Hering's five complete games in 2011 are tied for the sixth-most in a season in school history.