Box Score / Box Score (PDF) / Anthony Battaglia Postgame Interview

Emmitsburg, MD - Wagner scored eight runs over the first three frames before rallying to hold off Mount St. Mary's 8-7 in collecting a sweep of today's doubleheader at the Straw Family Stadium. In victory, the Seahawks improve to 11-15 and 7-3 in the Northeast Conference (NEC) while the Mountaineers fall to 7-21 and 0-10 in the league.

MSM outhit the Green & White by a 12-7 count, but walked nine and plunked one while not drawing one free pass all game.

Wagner started out strong for the second-straight game, plating four runs, as the spry Seahawks batted around in the top of the first inning. Sophomore Ian Miller (Downington, PA / Bishop Shanahan) led off with a walk before stealing second and third. Graduate student Bill Murphy (Cranford, NJ / Roselle Catholic / Rutgers) was then plunked, before senior Eddie Brown (Edison, NJ / St. Joseph's (Metuchen) / Seton Hall) opened the scoring with a run-scoring single to left field, plating Miller while advancing Murphy to second. Following an out, freshman Nick Dini (Monroe Township, NJ / Monroe Township) drew a walk, loading up the bases. Junior Jayson Keel (Starkville, MS / Starkville / Holmes CC), who notched five RBI in the opener, followed with a two-run double to left field that scored Murphy and Brown while moving Dini to third. Senior Tommy Higgins (Port Monmouth, NJ / Red Bank Catholic) capped the scoring with a sacrifice fly in extending the lead out to 4-0.

The Green & White plated four more runs in the top of the third to jump in front 8-0. Dini led off with a double, before Higgins drew a one-out walk. Sophomore Cliff Brantley (Staten Island, NY / Port Richmond) followed with his first RBI of the year, scoring Dini with a single through the left side. Junior Nick Alfano (Coral Springs, FL / North Broward Prep) extended the lead out to 6-0 with a double through the left side, plating Higgins while knocking Mount St. Mary's starter RHP Scott Nickerson out of the game. Following a fielder's choice ground out, Murphy capped the scoring with a two-run single through the right side, scoring Alfano and Miller.

The Mountaineers got on the board in the bottom part of the frame with three runs on three hits.

Wagner would again threaten in the top of the fifth inning, loading the bases on walks to Higgins, Miller and Murphy. However the trio would be stranded when RHP Chris Campbell escaped the jam with a strikeout.

After the Seahawks again stranded a runner in scoring position in the top of the sixth inning, MSM made things interesting with four runs on five hits in the bottom part of the frame to draw within one at 8-7.

Freshman RHP Anthony Battaglia (Staten Island, NY / St. Joseph By The Sea) then entered in the seventh against the heart of the Mount St. Mary's order and rose to the challenge for the second-straight game.  After allowing a one-out double, Battaglia struck the next batter out before inducing a game-ending ground out.

Battaglia, who was the winning pitcher in game one, struck out one in recording his third save. On the year, he has struck out seven while posting a 0.73 ERA over 12.1 innings of work.

Despite allowing seven runs over 6.0 innings, sophomore RHP Ryan Casey (Paramus, NJ / St. Joseph Regional) struck out four while not walking a batter in improving to 3-1 on the year. Over his last 30.1 innings of work, Casey has fanned 18 while yielding just one walk.

All nine regulars reached base safely for the Green & White, led by Miller, who walked three times while stealing three bases and scoring two runs. 

Eight of the nine Mountaineer regulars hit safely, led by Andrew Clow, Mark Quaranta and Nick Walker - all of whom recorded multiple-hits.

The teams will conclude their four-game series with a doubleheader tomorrow at 1:00 pm.