Box Score / Box Score (PDF) / Nick Dini Postgame Interview
Staten Island, NY - Junior LHP
Matt Morris (Matawan, NJ / CBA) struck out a career-high nine over 5.0 innings of work in leading Wagner to an 8-3 victory over Fairliegh Dickinson in game one of a doubleheader at Richmond County Bank Ballpark.
Morris (2-1) scattered just one run on four hits and two walks in winning his second-straight game.
With their seventh-straight victory, the Seahawks improve to 11-14 and 4-2 in the Northeast Conference (NEC) while the Knights fall to 3-20 and 0-10 in the league.
FDU took its first lead of the series on Dylan Sprague's RBI double to right field, plating Kyle Weeks in the process.
The lead would be short lived as Wagner answered immediately with a run of its own. Junior
Ian Miller (Downingtown, PA / Bishop Shanahan) led off with a single to left center while extending his hitting streak to 14 games. Miller then stole second, before moving to third on
Chris Smith's (Tampa, FL / Freedom / Ellsworth CC (IA)) sacrifice bunt. Sophomore
Nick Dini (Monroe Township, NJ / Monroe Township) then opened the scoring with a RBI ground out that to the right side of the infield, allowing Miller to easily score.
Fairleigh Dickinson threatened to reclaim the lead in the top of the fourth inning as John Giakas led off with a double, before being stranded as Morris struck out the side to keep Giakas and the Knights at bay.
The Seahawks then assumed their first lead of the game with a pair of two-out runs. Junior
Shaun Flynn (Tabernacle, NJ / Seneca / Burlington CC) led off with a single on a 0-2 offering, before moving to second on a
Chase Gray (Toms River, NJ / Toms River South / Seton Hall) sacrifice bunt. After advancing to third on a ground out, Flynn scored when sophomore
Jason Gordon (Baltimore, MD / Archbishop Curley) crushed a double to left center. Gordon then moved to third on a pass ball, before crossing the plate on a
Dan Wasilick (So., Toms River, NJ / Toms River East) RBI single to left field.
After allowing a two-out single in the top of the fifth inning, Morris capped his dominating performance with strikeout number nine while exiting with a 3-1 lead.
The Green & White broke the game open in the bottom of the sixth inning while chasing Brendan Butler from the game. Dini and senior
Nick Alfano (Coral Springs, FL / North Broward Prep) each reached with one-out infield singles, before Flynn earned a walk. Gray opened the scoring when he was plunked, allowing Dini to score while forcing the Knights to bullpen. Following a pitching change, Mazurkiewicz greeted Yonah Perline with an nine-pitch walk that plated Alfano while extending the lead to 5-1. Gordon kept the merry-go-round going when he was plunked, scoring Flynn. Wasilick then capped the scoring with a sacrifice fly to left that allowed Gray to cross the plate while staking Wagner to a 7-1 lead.
The Seahawks would extend the lead to 8-1 with a pair of sixth-inning doubles. Dini got aboard with a one-out two-bagger, before Flynn brought Dini around with a double of his own.
FDU scored two unearned runs in the top of the seventh to provide the final 8-3 score.
Eight different Wagner players hit safely while all nine starters reached base safely, as Dini and Flynn each notched a pair of hits with two runs and a double to lead the offensive onslaught.
Eric Anderson went 2-for-3 while Kyle Weeks scored two runs to lead the way for Fairleigh Dickinson. Butler (1-5) allowed seven runs, six earned, on nine hits and a walk over 4.1 innings.
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