Box Score / Box Score (PDF) / Ryan Casey Postgame Interview
New Britain, CT - Sophomore
Ryan Casey (Paramus, NJ / St. Joseph Regional) hurled his fourth complete game of the year while the Wagner offense erupted for 12 hits en route to a 5-2 victory over Central Connecticut State in the first game of today's doubleheader at the CCSU Baseball Field.
In victory, the Seahawks best last year's win total of 18 while improving to 19-25 and 12-10 in the Northeast Conference (NEC) while the Blue Devils fall to 21-21 and 13-13 in the league.
Wagner struck first with a two-out run in its first trip to the plate. Senior
Eddie Brown (Edison,NJ / St. Joseph's (Metuchen) / Seton Hall) extended his career-best hitting streak to 13 games
with this two-out single to left field. After stealing his 20th base of the year, the Seton Hall transfer came around to score the game's first run
on this Nick Dini (Monroe Township, NJ / Monroe Township) double to right center.
The Seahawks added to the lead with another two-out score in the top of the second inning. With runners on second-and-third, sophomore
Ian Miller (Downingtown, PA / Bishop Shanahan)
reached on this infield single up the middle, plating junior
Jayson Keel (Starkville, MS / Starkville / Holmes CC) with the second run of the game.
CCSU mounted its first big threat of the game in the bottom of the frame as Dylan DelaCruz reached on a one-out fielding error. However, sophomore Casey struck out the next batter
with this nasty offering, before inducing a routine fly for the third out.
The Green & White scored another two-out run in the top of the third inning with three-straight singles. Junior
Nick Alfano (Coral Springs, FL / North Broward Prep) singled to center field, before Keel followed with a hard-hit single of his own. Graduate student
Bill Murphy (Cranford, NJ / Roselle Catholic / Rutgers) then brought around Alfano with a single of his own, extending the lead out to 3-0.
CCSU would get on the board in the bottom of the fifth inning with a pair of two-out runs of its own. With the bases loaded, JP Sportman singled sharply up the middle, scoring Anthony Turgeon and Josh Ingham to make it a 3-2 game. Casey, however, buckled down and with the tying and go-ahead runs in scoring position induced an inning-ending pop up for the final out.
Wagner got one of those runs back in the top of the sixth inning. Miller drew a one-out walk, before promptly stealing second for his NEC-leading 26th stolen base of the year and his second of the game. Senior
Tommy Higgins (Port Monmouth, NJ / Red Bank Catholic) followed
with this single, moving Miller to third. Brown then brought around Miller
with this sacrifice fly, extending the lead out to 4-2.
The Seahawks added an insurance run in the top of the seventh inning on sophomore
Cliff Brantley's (Staten Island, NY / Port Richmond) pinch-hit RBI single up the middle, plating Keel, who had led off the frame with a double to right field.
Casey then took to the hill in the top of the seventh inning and retired the side without incident for his fourth complete game of the year while improving to 4-3 on the year. In his seven-inning effort, the Garden State native struck out three while yielding one run on six hits and just one walk.
Keel led the way on offense, going 3-for-3 with two runs and a stolen base while reaching base safely in all four trips to the plate. Miller went 2-for-4 with a triple and two stolen bases while recording his team-best 18th multi-hit game of the year. Also recording multiple-hits was Murphy, who was 2-for-4 with a RBI.
Sportman paced a six-hit attack for the Blue Devils, going 2-for-3 with two RBI.
Brendyn Karinchak (3-2) took the loss, allowing three runs on seven hits over 3.0 innings of work.
