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Staten Island, NY - Senior RHP Ryan Casey (Paramus, NJ / St. Joseph Regional) made his final career start at Richmond County Bank Ballpark one to remember as he limited Sacred Heart to just one run over 8.0 virtuoso innings in lifting Wagner to a 4-1 win in the series opener between the teams.

The Seahawks improve to 16-29 and 8-9 in the Northeast Conference (NEC) while the Pioneers fall to 22-23 and 9-8 in the league.

After allowing a run in the first and stranding a pair of runners in scoring position in the second, Casey (4-4) buckled down and faced just two over the minimum in his final six innings of work to collect his fourth-straight victory.

During NEC play, the Garden State native, who struck out four while scattering six hits on the day, is now a perfect 4-0 with 12 strikeouts and a 0.91 ERA while limiting opposing hitters to a .192 average.

Sacred Heart struck first with a single run in the top of the first as Kenny Byram led off with a double before scoring on a Zack Short double. The Pioneers had a chance to add to the lead but would strand a runner in scoring position before leaving two more aboard in the top of the second.

After threating in its first two trips to the plate, Wagner finally broke through with three runs in the bottom of the third while grabbing control of the game. Freshman Nick Mascelli (Clifton, NJ / Seton Hall Prep) led off with a single before stealing second. He would then come around to score on Jason Gordon's (Jr., Baltimore, MD / Archbishop Curley) RBI single up the middle. Junior Nick Dini (Monroe Township, NJ / Monroe Township) followed with the third-straight Seahawk single before Gordon moved to third on a Shaun Flynn (Sr., Tabernacle, NJ / Burlington CC) fielder's choice grounder. Gordon would then come around to score on sophomore John Lynn's (Wallingford, PA / Salesianum School (DE)) sacrifice fly with Flynn later crossing the plate on a wild pitch to give the Green & White an insurmountable 3-1 lead.

The Seahawks would add to the lead with another run in the top of the fifth as Mascelli led off with his third single of the game before coming around to score on a Gordon's RBI double down the left field line, which extended the Green & White advantage to 4-1.

That would be more than enough for Casey, who recorded a 1-2-3 frame in the top of the sixth before Dini erased a two-out runner with a strike to second for the final out of the seventh. Casey would run into a minor jam in the eighth, walking the leadoff better on four pitchers before recovering to induce a 4-6-3 double play. Then following Short's second double of the game, the Wagner Friday starter induced a routine fly to end the eighth and cap an outstanding performance on the mound.

Junior RHP Steven Bloodworth (Annandale, NJ / Hunterdon Central) entered in the ninth and made quick work of SHU with a perfect inning of relief to earn his fourth save.

Mascelli (3-for-4; 2 runs), Gordon (2-for-3; 2 RBI) and Dini (2-for-4) - the Seahawks' first three hitters - combined to go 7-for-11 with three runs and two RBI to highlight a nine-hit attack.

Byram and Short each notched two hits to lead the way for Sacred Heart. Senior RHP Kody Kerski (7-2) was saddled with the loss, allowing four runs on seven hits with four strikeouts over 5.0 innings.

The teams will continue their series tomorrow with a 1:00 pm doubleheader at the ballpark.

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