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Bryant Sweeps Series From Wagner With 10-6 Win

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Staten Island, NY -
Bryant scored four runs in the first two innings and never trailed en route to posting a 10-6 victory over Wagner on Senior Day at Richmond County Bank Ballpark.

With the win, the Bulldogs sweep the teams' four-game series en route to improving to 40-15-1 and 27-5 in the Northeast Conference (NEC) while the Seahawks see their season end at 24-31 and 16-16 in the league.

Bryant opened the scoring with a pair of runs in the top of the first. AJ Zarozny drew a one-out walk, before advancing to third on Kevin Brown's single through the ride side with the latter taking second on the throw. John Mullen followed with a single through the left side to plate Zarozny. Carl Anderson then capped the scoring with a sacrifice fly that scored Brown.

The Bulldogs added to the lead with two unearned runs in the top of the second. Jonathon Scott reached on a two-out error, before scoring on Jordan Mountford's run-scoring double to right field. Zarozny then extended the lead to 4-0 with a RBI single that chased home Mountford.

Wagner then began chipping away at the lead in the bottom part of the frame. Graduate student Chase Gray (Toms River, NJ / Toms River South / Seton Hall) reached on an error, before freshman Ben Ruta (West Windsor, NJ / West-Windsor Plainsboro South) and junior Shaun Flynn (Tabernacle, NJ / Seneca / Burlington CC) followed with singles to up load the bases. Gray would then come around to score the Seahawks' first run on a double-play grounder.

After freshman LHP Paul Mammino (Hillsborough, NJ / Hillsborough) recorded a quick-1-2-3 frame in the top of the third, the Green & White struck for two more runs in the bottom part of the frame. Sophomore Dan Wasilick (Toms River, NJ / Toms River East) led off with a beautiful bunt single to the first baseman, before junior Ian Miller (Downingtown, PA / Bishop Shanahan) followed with a single. After classmate Chris Smith (Tampa, FL / Freedom / Ellsworth CC (IA)) moved the runners over to second-and-third with a sacrifice bunt, sophomore Nick Dini (Monroe Township, NJ / Monroe Township) plated Wasilick and Miller with a two-run single through the left side while trimming the deficit to 4-3.

Bryant had a chance to add to its lead when Robbie Rinn tripled to right field with one out. However, Mammino hunkered down and struck out Scott and Mountford to evade further damage.

The Bulldogs, however, would continue to fight and added two more runs in the top of the fifth. Zarozny led off with a bunt single, before moving to third on a Brown single. Mullen then walked, before Anderson plated Zarozny with a RBI single. Dan St. George followed with a run-scoring single that scored Mullen while pushing the lead out to 6-3. However, the damage could have been worse but Smith gunned out Brown trying to stretch his aforementioned single into a double.

Wagner would threaten in the bottom of the fifth inning as the Seahawks loaded up the bases with two outs, only to come away empty-handed as RHP Kevin McAvoy induced an inning-ending ground out. 

Robbie Rinn then took advantage of a Green & White error with a two-out run-scoring double that plated Dan Muscatello while extending the Bryant advantage out to 7-3 in the top of the seventh.

The Seahawks immediately got that run back in the bottom part of the frame on Ruta's third hit of the game, a RBI single to left field that scored Miller.

In the top of the eighth, the Bulldogs pushed the lead out to an insurmountable 10-4 advantage on a two-out, three-run Anderson home run to left center.

As was the case for the entire game, the Green & White continue to fight and made one last stand with two outs in the bottom of the ninth. Dini doubled down the left field line, before Gray homered for the first time in 377 collegiate plate appearances spanning five seasons with a blast deep over the right field wall. Ruta and Flynn then drew walks, before sophomore Tommy Mazurkiewicz (Neshanic Station, NJ / Somerville) loaded up the bases with an infield single while forcing Bryant to the pen. Unfortunately, Jonathon Cohen got the first batter he faced to ground into a game-ending force fielder's choice grounder to second.

All nine Wagner regulars reached base safely, led by Ruta, who went 3-for-4 with a RBI and a walk. Dini and Mazurkiwicz also notched multiple hits while rounding out the top performers for the Seahawks' 11-hit attack.

Anderson was 2-for-4 with a home run and five RBI to pace a Bulldog offense that rapped out 16 hits on the afternoon. Zarozny and Brown also had big games, with each player finishing up with three hits.

Mammino finishes up his fantastic freshman campaign with a 6-2 record, after allowing six runs, four earned, on nine hits with two strikeouts over 4.1 innings of work.

McAvoy (6-2) earned the win, allowing three runs, two earned, on seven hits and three walks with two strikeouts over 6.0 innings of work. Cohen notched his first save of the year thanks to recording the final out.

Notes:
* Prior to the game, Wagner head coach Jim Carone and his staff honored Nick Alfano (Coral Springs, FL / North Broward Prep), Dakota Dvorak (Pompano Beach, FL / North Broward Prep), Gray and Keel for their dedication to the program.

* Ruta hit safely in all four games against Bryant and batted a team-best .536 (7-for-13) with two walks on the weekend en route to posting a .600 OBP against one of the best pitching staffs in the nation.

* Miller ended the year with a NEC single-season record 46 stolen bases while Wagner finished with a NEC-record 114 steals, one better than the 1988 Fairleigh Dickinson squad that notched 113.

* Miller also finished the season with 77 hits, which ranks second in the Seahawks' single-season annals, behind just former Chicago Cubs farmhand Mike Cerminaro's total of 82 set in 2000.

* Dini also capped a fine season with a .312 average to go along with 14 doubles, two triples, four homes run and a NEC-leading 46 RBI.

* All 16 games over the last four years between Bryant and Wagner have been decided by four runs or less, including eight by one run.

* The Seahawks' six runs represented the most allowed by Bulldog pitching in a NEC game this season and is the most scored by an opponent since LIU Brooklyn plated seven in Smithfield, RI on March 31, 2012 - a span of 55 conference games.

* Wagner will return 25 letterwinners next year, including eight players that started at least 20 games in the field, and its entire weekend pitching rotation.

* Follow Wagner Athletics on Twitter (@wagnerathletics) for all the latest news and updates on the athletic department and @WagBaseball for news and updates on the baseball program.
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