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Staten Island Advance Recap (Jim Waggoner) 

Pictured above: Senior catcher Nick Dini (Photo by Katie Carlson) 

Staten Island, NY – The Wagner baseball team had two runners in scoring position in the bottom of the 10th inning but the Seahawks were unable to come up with a timely hit as LIU Brooklyn held on 3-2 in game two of Thursday's Northeast Conference (NEC) doubleheader at Richmond County Bank Ballpark as the teams split the doubleheader.

With the loss, the Seahawks (7-9-1; 1-1 NEC) saw their season-high seven game win streak end while the Blackbirds picked up their eighth victory of the season after falling to Wagner 3-2 in game one.

After seeing his 21-game hit streak end in the twinbill's opener, junior outfielder Ben Ruta (West Windsor, NJ/West-Windsor Plainsboro South) went 1-for-5 in the nightcap, sending a towering home run over the right field wall in the bottom of the fifth.

Senior catcher Nick Dini (Monroe Township, NJ/Monroe Township), who started his 181st straight game as a Seahawk, went 3-for-4 in the second game. Junior RHP Mike Adams (Egg Harbor Township, NJ/Holy Spirit) tossed seven innings, allowing five hits, two runs (one earned) while striking out five. 

LIU Brooklyn scored in the third inning after sophomore SS Nick Mascelli (Clifton, NJ/Seton Hall Prep) was charged with an error, allowing Dom Paiotti to score from third base. Wagner responded in the bottom of the fourth as Dini swiped second and third base before crossing home plate on a sacrifice fly by freshman OF Anthony Godino (Thornwood, NY/Pleasantville) who sent a long fly ball to left field.

The Seahawks went ahead 2-1 in the bottom of fifth on Ruta's laser of a home run as the third-year Seahawk blasted the first pitch he saw from LIU Brooklyn starter, Michael Hernandez.

The Blackbirds knotted the game at 2-2 in the sixth inning as Tommy Jakubowski sent Adams' 2-0 pitch over the right field wall, similar to where Ruta's home run wound up. Adams then settled down on the mound and was able get out of the inning with just the one run scored,

Wagner had a golden opportunity in the bottom of the eighth inning. With two outs, Dini doubled to left field. Senior 1B Tommy Mazurkiewicz (Neshanic Station, NJ/Somerville) was walked intentionally to bring Godino, who then drew a five-pitch free pass. LIU Brooklyn then turned to its bullpen, calling on Evan Flood to pitch after Hernandez went 7 2/3 innings while throwing 120 pitches. Flood was able to get senior Jason Gordon (Baltimore, MD/Archbishop Curley) to strike out swinging on three pitches to end the threat.

Following a scoreless ninth, LIU Brooklyn mustered what would prove to be winning run in the top of the 10th. Senior reliever Max Schmardel (Eatontown, NJ/Monmouth Regional) fanned Jon McAllister on seven pitches before being replaced by sophomore southpaw Nick DiLeo (Brooklyn, NY/Xavier [St. John's]) who gave up a double to Jakubowski. 

Wagner brought in senior Anthony Battaglia (Staten Island, NY/St. Joseph By The Sea) who was able to get Melvin Rios to line out to freshman 3B Sean Mazzio (West Chester, PA/Salesianum School [DE]). Hernandez, who was the pitcher/designated hitter in the contest, stepped up to bat and delivered an RBI single to right, scoring Jakubowski. 

In the home half of the 10th, with one man out, Dini singled to left field for his third hit of the evening. Rafael Guerriero was brought in to replace Flood. The speedy Dini then stole second, recording his third stolen base of the game. Following a walk to Mazurkiewicz, Guerriero was able to close the door on Wagner's comeback attempt, getting Godino to strike out swinging for the second out before getting Gordon to ground out to second.

These two teams will close their NEC-opening series on Saturday, April 4 with a doubleheader (seven innings the first game, nine the second game) at Richmond County Bank Ballpark with first pitch scheduled for 1:00 pm.

For more information, log on to WagnerAthletics.com. Follow us on Twitter (@WagnerAthletics) and follow @WagBaseball for information on the Wagner College baseball team.