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Brooklyn, NY – The Wagner baseball team managed seven hits in game one of Sunday's doubleheader, but it wasn't enough as the Seahawks dropped the opener, 5-2, to LIU Brooklyn at LIU Field.

With the loss, the Seahawks have now lost seven straight contests, falling to 9-17; 5-6 in Northeast Conference (NEC) play while the Blackbirds, improve to 8-18; 3-6 in league play. 

Freshman LHP Neil Abbatiello (North Salem, NY/Dobbs Ferry) falls to 1-3 on the season after lasting just 2.2 innings, allowing three runs (one earned), three hits and four walks. Fellow classmate Cory Heitler (Fair Lawn, NJ/ Fair Lawn) pitched the final 3.1 innings in relief, allowing six hits, two earned runs, a walk and two strikeouts.

LIU's starter, Cory Hart, tossed four innings of six-hit ball, yielding two earned runs, walking two and striking out three for his second win of the season (2-1). Mike Kreiger hurled the final three innings to pick up his second save of the year, allowing a hit, walking two and striking out one.

Seven Seahawks had a hit in the opener with junior catcher Brendan Benecke (Jackson, NJ/Jackson Liberty) and sophomore RF Anthony Godino (Thornwood, NY/Pleasantville) driving in the only RBIs for Wagner.  

Mark Hernandez and Harrison Preschel each had two hits for the Blackbirds with Hernandez, Kyle Ruth and Brian Lamboy driving in an RBI in the three-run victory.

LIU Brooklyn got on the board first as Ruth launched his first home run of the season off an Abbatiello's 2-0 pitch giving the Blackbirds a 1-0 lead.

Wagner tied the game in the top of the third. Freshman 3B Will Johnson (Toms River, NJ/Toms River High School East) drew a leadoff walk and advanced to third on a 1-1 single to right centerfield off the bat of junior shortstop Nick Mascelli (Clifton, NJ/Seton Hall Prep).  

Godino lifted Hart's 0-1 pitch to right field as LIU's right fielder, Tommy Jakubowski, camped under the pop-up in recording in the out with Johnson tagging up on the play and scoring, tying the game at 1-1. 

In the bottom half of the stanza, the Blackbirds went ahead, 3-1,  as three Seahawk errors led to the two-run inning. With two down, Ruth singled down the left field line as Preschel advanced to third on a throwing error by Johnson. 

William Jackson III reached on a bobble by Mazzio at second, which plated the go-ahead run in Preschel, giving the home team a 2-1 lead. Charles Misiano reached base on the third Seahawk mishap as Mazzio committed his second error of the inning, which allowed Ruth to cross the plate. 

In the fourth, however, with one-out, Mazzio redeemed himself with a double down the right field line. Benecke drew the Seahawks closer with an RBI single up-the-middle as Mazzio raced in to score from second, cutting the Blackbirds lead to 3-2. 

LIU added a run in the bottom of the fourth and fifth to take a three-run lead at 5-2.  With two-outs in the Blackbirds fourth, Hernandez singled up the middle, scoring Jakubowski from second base. In the fifth, Lamboy plated the final run of the game on a sacrifice fly to right field. 

Wagner had a chance in the seventh as  Godino started the inning with a single to left. Senior designated hitter Ben Ruta (West Windsor, NJ/West-Windsor Plainsboro South) gave the Green & White drew a walk, giving the Green & White runners on first and second with no one out. 

Freshman LF Phil Capra (North Salem, NY/North Salem) hit into a 6-4-3 double play before sophomore CF Kyle Cala (Brick, NJ/Brick Memorial), who hit two home runs in yesterday's second game, went down swinging ending the ballgame. 

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