BOX SCORE
BOX SCORE (PDF)

Staten Island, NY - Wagner (17-26) matched its best win since the 2007 season with a 10-5 win over Lafayette (17-26) in non-conference action at Richmond County Bank Ballpark. Senior LHP Jack Rice (Middlesex, NJ / Immaculata) yielded just one run over 4.0 innings for his first win of the year while classmate Kevin McDonnell (Bristol, CT / Avon Old Farms) and junior Tommy Higgins (Port Monmouth, NJ / Red Bank Catholic) led a 13-hit Seahawk attack with a three hits apiece.

The Green & White hit a stellar .417 (5-for-12) with runners in scoring position as the Leopards batted just .190 (4-for-21) with runners in scoring position while stranding 15 runners, including leaving the bases loaded in the first and ninth inning.

Wagner opened the scoring with a run in the bottom of the first inning. With two outs, Higgins blooped a double over the first baseman's head, before scoring this McDonnell single to center field.

Lafayette tied the game up at 1-1 in the top of the second inning on a Rob Froio RBI single that plated Brian Davila.

The score stood that way until the top of the fourth inning when the Leopards assumed a 4-1 lead with three runs, two of which were of the unearned variety.

After leaving the bases loaded in the bottom of the fourth inning, the Seahawks rallied for five runs in the fifth inning while assuming an insurmountable 6-4 lead. Senior Joe Conforti (Staten Island, NY / Farrell) led off with this bunt single up the third base line. Following an out and a Conforti stolen base, Higgins walked. McDonnell then plated Conforti with this run-scoring double to right field while advancing Higgins to third bsae as the Green & White cut the deficit to 4-2. Junior Nick Alfano (Coral Springs, FL / North Broward Prep) then tied the game up with this two-run double down the left field line, scoring Higgins and McDonnell. Junior Hayden Hunter (Santa Monica, CA / Notre Dame) followed with his second career home run, a two-run shot to deep left field, while capping the five-run frame.

Wagner added to the lead in the next inning with a single tally. Senior Seth Boyd (Perth Amboy, NJ / Perth Amboy) led off with this double to left center while moving into a tie for third place on the career doubles list with his 47th two-bagger. He would come around to score later in the frame while pushing the lead out to 7-4.

The Seahawks extended the lead to 8-4 in the bottom of the seventh inning when Alfano scored on a fielding error before Lafayette got that run back in the top of the eighth on a Scott Kelleher RBI single.

The Green & White put the game out of reach in the bottom part of the frame, plating a pair of runs. Higgins delivered this two-out single to right field before moving to third on a pair of wild pitches. McDonnell then chased him around for the second time on the day with a RBI single before he came around to score the game's final run on an error while providing the 10-5 final score.

Sophomore RHP Dakota Dvorak (Pompano Beach, FL / North Broward Prep) entered in the ninth and fired a scoreless frame while closing out the victory.

Rice (1-0) earned the win, striking out two while not walking a batter and yielding one run on four hits over a season-best 4.0 innings. Rice has now struck out 14 over 15.0 innings while recording a 2.40 ERA over 15.0 innings.

Higgins went 3-for-4 with two doubles and three runs while also drawing a walk. McDonnell was 3-for-5 with three RBI - as each hit drove in a run - and two runs. The Nutmeg State native is now also just two hits shy of 200 for his career. Alfano and Hunter rounded out the multiple-hit performers as each player recorded two hits to go along with two RBI.

Five different Leopard players recorded multiple-hits, led by A.J. Miller, who was 2-for-3 with two walks and a RBI.

RHP Robert Tatum (0-1) was saddled with the loss, yielding five runs on four hits and a walk over 1.0 innings of relief.

Wagner returns to action with a home game against NJIT at 3:00 pm.