Box Score / Box Score (PDF) / Mazurkiewicz Postgame Interview

Hamden, CT - Senior Nick Alfano's (Coral Springs, FL / North Broward Prep) go-ahead RBI single in the top of the sixth inning lifted Wagner (16-23; 9-8 NEC) to a 3-2 win over Quinnipiac (10-26; 5-12 NEC) in the opener of this weekend's four-game series between the teams at the QU Baseball Field.

Junior RHP Ryan Casey (Paramus, NJ / St. Joseph's Regional) evened his record at 4-4 after allowing just two runs over 9.0 innings of work in earning his fourth complete game of the season. After surrendering single runs in the first and fourth innings, Casey hunkered down and held  the Bobcats scoreless over the final five frames.

QU took the early lead with a run in the bottom of the first inning on Chris Migani's RBI ground out.

Wagner threatened to dent the scoreboard in the top of the third inning as Alfano and junior Ian Miller (Downingtown, PA / Bishop Shanahan) each singled with one out. Sophomore Nick Dini (Monroe Township, NJ / Monroe Township) then drew a two-out walk to load the bases up. Unfortunately, graduate student Chase Gray's (Toms River, NJ / Toms River South / Seton Hall) smash back up the middle deflected off Bobcat starting pitcher Derek Lamacchia's glove to the second baseman, who promptly stepped on second for the third out of the frame.

Quinnipiac added to the lead with a run in the bottom of the fourth when Vincent Guglietti scored on Brian Ruditys' RBI bloop single to left center.

After being held scoreless over the first five innings, the Seahawks finally broke through in the top of the sixth inning with three runs on five hits. Dini led off with a single, before Gray extended his hitting streak to 14 with a single up the middle. After a pop out, Dini and Gray executed the rarely seen double steal. Junior Shaun Flynn (Tabernacle, NJ / Seneca / Burlington CC) then delivered a two-run single up the middle that plated the pair while tying the score at 2-2. Later in the frame with two outs, Alfano picked up Flynn with a RBI single to center that give the Green & White a 3-2 lead.

After allowing a fourth-inning run, Casey calmed down and retired the next 12 batters he faced, before Forrest Dwyer drew a one-out walk in the bottom of the eighth inning. Scott Donaghue followed with a single, before Migani was plunked to load up the bases. Casey, however, got out of the jam by inducing an inning-ending 4-6-3 double play to exit the frame without incident.

The Bobcats threatened on last time in the bottom of the ninth inning with a two-out single, before Casey finished what he started by inducing a grounder to the mound for the final out.

On the day, Casey  threw just 93 pitches, including 67 for strikes, in matching 2006 graduate and Boston Red Sox reliever Andrew Bailey for 10th place in the record books with his ninth career complete game.

Mazurkiewicz went 3-for-4 with a double while Flynn added a pair of RBI to lead Wagner's 11-hit attack. Alfano also went 2-for-4 with a RBI while Miller was 2-for-5, rounding out the top performers on offense.

Lamacchia (3-6) took the loss, striking out six while yielding three runs on 11 hits and a walk over 9.0 innings. Ryan Nelson paced QU at the plate, going 2-for-4.

The teams will resume their series tomorrow with a 1:00 pm doubleheader. Live stats and audio are available through the Quinnipiac website or by visiting the schedule/results link on the Seahawks' baseball page on the website.

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Photography by Dave Saffran