Pictured Above: Seahawks celebrate a run scored at then No. 10 Virginia (Keith Lucas, Sideline Media)

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Staten Island, NY - After being held without a hit over the first three innings, the Wagner bats woke up in a big way as the Seahawks stopped an eight-game losing streak by defeating the Saint Peter University Peacocks, 13-6, on Wednesday afternoon at the Richmond County Bank Ballpark.

In banging out 14 base hits over the final five innings, Wagner improves to 10-18 overall on the season while the Peacocks fall to 5-23 on the year.

Senior RF Ben Ruta (West Windsor, NJ/West-Windsor Plainsboro South) and sophomore 2B Kyle Brey (Middletown, NJ/Middletown South) paced the Green & White with three hits apiece with Ruta driving in a game-high 3 RBIs and Brey scoring three runs.

Freshman DH Phil Capra (North Salem, NY/North Salem) added two RBIs, and a run scored while senior CF Trey Nicosia (State College, PA/State College Area) and sophomore 3B Sean Mazzio (West Chester, PA/Salesianum School [DE]) each had two hits. Nicosia, Mazzio and junior SS Nick Mascelli (Clifton, NJ/Seton Hall Prep) each drove in a run as well.

Senior LHP reliever Nick DiLeo (Brooklyn, NY/Xavier [St. John's]) earned his first victory of the season, tossing three innings of one-hit ball, allowing just a run and a walk while striking out three.  Junior RHP Danny Marsh (Monroe Township, NJ/Monroe Township) made his season debut this afternoon, going two innings, allowing two runs and walking two over the eight batters he faced.

The Seahawk bullpen, collectively, went seven innings, giving up seven hits, four runs, two of which were earned, walked two and struck out six batters. 

Jon Kristoffersen led Saint Peter' with a 3-for-5 day, delivering two RBIs and a run scored.  James Spadaccini and Jason Midkiff each had two hits with Midkiff driving in two runs on the afternoon.  The Peacocks' starter, Steve Epstein, suffered his third loss of the season, going 4.1 innings, allowing six hits, six runs (four earned) while walking two and striking out one.

Saint Peter's scored twice in the opening frame, with the big shot in the inning coming off a Midkiff double down the right field line that scored Angel Perez and Rob Moore. The Peacocks added one more in the top of the third to take a 3-0 advantage as Spadaccini knocked in Kristoffersen from third on an RBI groundout to second. Epstein stifled the Seahawks bats over the first three innings, retiring Wagner in order. After DiLeo had set down the Peacocks in the top of the fourth, the Seahawks' bats awakened.

In the bottom of the frame and facing one out, Nicosia doubled down the left field line. Ruta followed it up with a single up the middle that scored Nicosia for Wagner's first run. Freshman 1B Anthony Harrold (Woodbury, NJ/Gloucester Catholic) reached on an error by the Saint Peter's third baseman which plated Ruta in cutting the deficit to one, 3-2.  Swinging at the first pitch, Mazzio singled to left field scoring Capra to knot the game at 3-3.

The Peacocks took a 4-3 lead in the top of the fifth as Kristoffersen doubled down the left field line scoring Perez. Wagner had the answer in their half of the fourth, sparking a four-run frame on five hits as the Seahawks took a 7-4 lead.  The big blast in the inning came on a 0-1 pitch to Ruta, who doubled to the deepest part of right-centerfield, scoring Mascelli and Brey on the play.  Ruta came around on a wild pitch before Capra scored Cala on a fly-out to left.

DiLeo set down the Peacocks in the sixth on a grounder to first and back-to-back strikeouts of Tommy Toole and Griffin Arnott. Wagner went back to work in the bottom of the inning, adding three more runs in taking a 10-4 lead. Nicosia delivered an RBI bunt single that scored Brey.  Ruta singled to left to load the bases, and Cala walked scoring Mascelli. Capra sent another deep drive to left and plated Nicosia for the final run of the inning. 

Saint Peter's got one back in the top of the seventh off of senior reliever Nathan Hunt (Kirtland, OH/Hawken School) as Kristoffersen continued his hot hitting, sending an RBI single to score Mike Ionta before Moore ended the threat with a groundout to first. Wagner increased its lead to 13-5 with its final tallies of the contest.

Back-to-back singles from Mazzio and junior catcher Brendan Benecke (Jackson, NJ/Jackson Liberty) gave the Seahawks runners on first and second and no one out.  Brey placed a bunt down the third base line that overthrown by Gary Puente, who had three errors on the day.  This mishap led the first run as Mazzio scored. Benecke followed behind him on a balk by Jake Regina. Mascelli capped the rally with an RBI pop out to center.

The Peacocks scored the game's final run in the ninth off of junior LHP Alex Amadeo (Staten Island, NY/St. Joseph By The Sea), who came on in relief of freshman reliever Cory Heitler (Fair Lawn, NJ/Fair Lawn). Amadeo allowed a leadoff single to Perez. Perez became the first out when he was retired at second base on an Ionta' fielder's choice. The third-year Seahawk struck out Kristoffersen swinging for the second out the ninth. Amadeo walked Moore and allowed an infield single to Spadaccini, which loaded the bases for the Peacocks. Ionta came in on a wild pitch before Amadeo struck out Midkiff on a 3-2 pitch to end the Seahawks' losing streak.

Wagner will head to Smithfield, RI to resume Northeast Conference (NEC) play as they take on the Bryant University Bulldogs. The four-game series begins Friday, April 15 at 3:00 p.m. Saturday's doubleheader between the Seahawks and Bulldogs will be streamed live on NEC Front Row, starting at 1:00 p.m. before the series finale on Sunday afternoon.

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