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Staten Island, NY - Wagner scored the final 14 runs of the game while erasing an eight-run, first-inning deficit en route to a decisive 18-10 victory over Iona in non conference action at Richmond County Bank Ballpark. In victory, the Seahawks claim their bye week series by a 2-1 count after splitting yesterday's doubleheader.

Senior Eddie Brown (Edison, NJ / St. Joseph's (Metuchen) / Seton Hall) capped the eight-run rally with his second home run in as many games, a go-ahead three-run home run to deep left field in the bottom of the seventh inning, as Wagner concluded its season-long eight game home-stand with a 6-2 record. With the win, the Seahawks match last year's victory total while improving to 18-24 as the Gaels fall to 15-24.

The Green & White rapped out 20 hits and was led by its first four hitters, which went a combined 12-for-18 with 12 RBI, eight runs and four walks.

Iona jumped in front with eight runs in the top of the first inning while sending 12 batters to plate.

Wagner began chipping away at the lead in the bottom of the second inning with four two-out runs. Graduate student Bill Murphy (Cranford, NJ / Roselle Catholic / Rutgers) singled to left center, before junior Chris Smith (Tampa, FL / Freedom / Ellsworth (IA) CC) drew a walk. Senior Hayden Hunter (Santa Monica, CA / Notre Dame) followed with a two-run triple to left field, plating both Murphy and Smith. Sophomore Ian Miller (Downingtown, PA / Bishop Shanahan) then collected his second hit of the game, a single to left center that brought around Hunter. Senior Tommy Higgins (Port Monmouth, NJ / Red Bank Catholic) capped the big inning with a double off the wall in left center to score Miller.

The Gaels briefly answered with single tallies in each of the next two frames in pushing their lead out to 10-4.

In the bottom of the fourth inning, the Seahawks struck for three more runs in slicing the deficit to 10-7. Smith opened up the frame with a walk, before moving to second on Miller's third hit of the game. Higgins followed with his second hit of the game, a sharp single through the left side that plated Smith. Later in the frame with runners at second-and-third, freshman Nick Dini delivered another big two-out hit, picking up a pair of RBI with a line drive single up the middle, scoring Miller and Higgins.

The Green & White would continue to fight and scored two more runs in the bottom of the sixth inning. Higgins cut the deficit to 10-8 with a RBI single up the middle before junior Jayson Keel (Starkville, MS / Starkville / Holmes CC) delivered a run-scoring single of his own to make it a 10-9 game.

Wagner would continue to battle and tied the game up at 10-10 in the bottom of the seventh inning on a Higgins sacrifice fly that chased home Murphy. Brown followed with his aforementioned home run to give the Seahawks the lead for good at 13-10. 

The Green & White added to the lead in the bottom of the eighth inning with five more runs. Hunter delivered a two-run single with the bases loaded, before Brown and Dini each drew bases-loaded walks. Keel capped the game's scoring with a sacrifice fly, while providing the final 18-10 score.

After allowing eight runs on seven hits in the first inning, the Wagner pitching staff yielded just two runs on five hits over the final eight innings and was buoyed by the solid pitching of sophomore RHP Nick Pavia (Staten Island, NY / St. Joseph By The Sea). The Staten Island native improved to 2-4 on the year, striking out two over 4.0 scoreless innings of relief. Pavia's prep teammate, freshman RHP Anthony Battaglia (Staten Island, NY / St. Joseph By The Sea) followed with 2.0 scoreless innings of relief in earning his fourth save of the year.

Miller set the table at the top of the order, going 4-for-5 with four runs, a RBI and a stolen base while Higgins went 3-for-4 with four RBI and a pair of runs. Higgins performance against Iona on the weekend was nothing short of spectacular, as the Garden State native hit .889 (8-for-9) with six RBI, two doubles, two runs and two walks while reaching base safely at an .833 clip and posting a 1.111 slugging percentage.

Dini also had a huge day, going 3-for-5 with three RBI while Hunter rounded out the three-hit performers, finishing up 3-for-5 with a triple, four RBI and three runs.

Brown, Murphy and Smith all also recorded multiple hits, as the Seahawks saw eight of their nine regulars hit safely in notching at least 20 hits for the second time in four games.

Iona, which recorded 12 hits, was led by Matt Kriss and Joe Torres, as each player recorded two hits and two RBI.