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Staten Island, NY - Wagner scored nine first-inning runs as six different players notched three hits to help fuel a 15-5 romp over Sacred Heart in the first of four games this weekend at Richmond Countny Bank Ballpark. With the win, the Seahawks, which notched 20 hits on the evening, improve to 20-28 and 13-12 in the Northeast Conference (NEC) while the Pioneers fall to 17-28 and 14-11 in the league.

In the decisive first inning, the Green & White scored nine runs on nine hits while sending 14 batters to the plate. With Wagner up 1-0 and runners on first-and-second with to outs, graduate student Bill Murphy's (Cranford, NJ / Roselle Catholic / Rutgers) drive to left field was dropped allowing two runs to score while giving the Seahawks new life. The Green & White then took advantage of the new opportunity withseven-straight hits that plated six runs to make it 9-0 after one full frame.

In the frame, sophomore Ian Miller (Downingtown, PA / Bishop Shanahan) and Nick Dini (Monroe Township, NJ / Monroe Township) each recorded a pair of hits to lead the offensive onslaught, while junior Jayson Keel (Starkville, MS / Starkville / Holmes CC), senior Eddie Brown (Edison, NJ / St. Joseph's (Metuchen) / Seton Hall), junior Nick Alfano (Coral Springs, FL / North Broward Prep) sophomore Chris Smith (Tampa, FL / Freedom / Ellsworth (IA) CC) and senior Hayden Hunter (Santa Monica, CA / Notre Dame) all recorded hits for the Seahawks.

Alfano then made it 10-0 with a RBI double in the bottom of the second inning, before SHU answered with three runs in the top of the third inning.

The Pioneers added one more run in the top of the fourth inning, before senior RHP Ryan Van Spronsen (Brantford, Ontario / Assumption College) buckled down and got Billy McDonough to ground to short for the final out of the frame while stranding runners at second-and-third.

Wagner would get one of those runs back in the bottom of the sixth inning on a two-out Smith RBI single, only to see Sacred Heart answer with a two-out score in the top of the seventh inning to make it an 11-5 game.

The Seahawks continued to attack on offense and would push the lead out to 13-5 with a pair of runs in the bottom of the seventh inning. Miller singled before stealing his league-leading 30th base of the year, and would come around to score on a Keel single to left field. Keel would later score in the frame on a Tommy Higgins (Port Monmouth, NJ / Red Bank Catholic) RBI fielder's choice grounder.

Van Spronsen then capped his stellar performance with a perfect eighth inning, before giving way to the bullpen in the top of the ninth inning. But before junior reliever Dakota Dvorak (Pompano Beach, FL / North Broward Prep) could finish the game, the Green & White added two more runs on a Keel RBI single and a Brown RBI double in the bottom of the eighth inning.

With the 10-run cushion, Dvorak recorded a perfect ninth inning to give Wagner the victory while snapping a five-game losing streak to the Pioneers.

Keel (3-for-4, 2 runs, 4 RBI), Alfano (3-for-5, 2 RBI, run), Brown (3-for-5, 2 RBI, run), Smith (3-for-5, 2 runs, RBI), Dini (3-for-5, RBI, run) and Miller (3-for-6, 3 runs, 2 SB, RBI) all notched three hits on the game while batting a combined .600 (18-for-30) for the evening.

Van Spronsen (7-1) collected the win, striking out five while yielding five runs on 10 hits over 8.0 innings of work.

Dan Perez went 2-for-4 with three RBI to lead SHU, which recorded 10 hits.

Nick Leiningen (4-5) suffered the loss, allowing nine runs, one earned, over 1.0 inning of work.

The teams continue their series with a 1:00 pm doubleheader tomorrow at the Stadium. Prior to the game seniors Brown, Higgins, Hunter, Murphy and Van Spronsen will be honored in a pregame ceremony.