Box Score (XML) | Box Score (HTML) | Box Score (PDF) | Staten Island Advance Recap

Pictured Above: Seniors Anthony Battaglia, Steven Bloodworth, Nick Dini (Katie Carlson, Envision Sports Media)

Staten Island, NY – The Wagner baseball team outlasted the Bryant University Bulldogs, 6-4, in game one of Friday's Northeast Conference (NEC) doubleheader at Richmond County Bank Ballpark.

With the victory, the Seahawks improved the 26-20-1; 14-8 in conference play while the Bulldogs fell to 25-22; 16-6 in league action. 

The win by helped the Seahawks remain in the hunt for the NEC regular season title as the Bulldogs lead was trimmed to two games with two games left in the series.

Junior LF Ben Ruta (West Windsor, NJ/West-Windsor Plainsboro South) went 3-for-3 in the opener while freshman DH Anthony Godino (Thornwood, NY/Pleasantville) added two hits and an RBI while senior 2B Nick Dini (Monroe Township, NJ/Monroe Township) went 1-for-1 with a team-high 3 RBIs.

Bryant kicked off the game with two runs in the opening inning.  Brandon Bingel doubled with one out and came in to score on a two-out double by  John Mullen.  Buck McCarthy delivered the third hit in the frame with a single to left field to give the visitors a 2-0 advantage.

The Green & White answered with a two-out rally in the bottom of the frame.  Ruta fell behind in the count but was able to send a single to left field.  After seeing the first pitch go for a ball, Dini tied the game at 2-2 with his team-leading sixth home run, sending the ball over the left field fence.

The Bulldogs regained the lead as they tacked on two more runs in the top of the third.  Cole Fabio walked to kick off the inning before Mullen took a 1-0 pitch from senior starter Max Schmardel (Eatontown, NJ/Monmouth Regional) over the left field wall to give Bryant a 4-2 lead. 

The Seahawks responded with another two-out rally in the bottom half of the third.  Sophomore SS Nick Mascelli (Clifton, NJ/Seton Hall Prep) worked a two-out walk and Ruta followed up with an RBI triple to the left field wall.  Following a walk to Dini, senior 1B Tommy Mazurkiewicz (Neshanic Station, NJ/Somerville) and Godino lined back-to-back singles to center to give Wagner a 5-4 lead.

Wagner added an insurance run in the fifth inning as Dini sent a towering fly ball to center field as Mascelli tagged up from third to score on the sacrifice fly, giving the home team a two-run edge.

Bryant was able to string together a late rally as senior closer Steven Bloodworth (Annandale, NJ/North Hunterdon) came in relief of classmate Anthony Battaglia (Staten Island, NY/St. Joseph By The Sea). 

Bloodworth walked Fabio and then Mullen reached on a fielder's choice.  McCarthy singled deep to the shortstop which loaded the bases for Bryant. After Bloodworth struck out AJ Zarozny on a slider that broke away from the right-handed batter, Mascelli snatched a ground ball off the bat of Daniel Palazzo, before completing a game-ending unassisted 6-3 double play.

Battaglia came in relief of Schmardel, who tossed the first three innings, allowing six hits and four runs.  The Staten Island native Battaglia earned his fourth win of the year after tossing three innings of one-hit ball without allowing a run and striking out two batters.  Bloodworth earned his seventh save of the season.   Bryant James Karinchak suffered his fifth overall defeat of the season and first in NEC play.  

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