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South Orange, NJ – The Wagner baseball team scored twice in the top of the third but Seton Hall rallied to plate across four runs in the bottom of the fourth and seventh as the Pirates defeated the Seahawks, 9-2, on Wednesday afternoon at Owen T. Carroll Field.
With the loss, the Seahawks have now dropped its last four contests and stand at 9-14 on the season while the Pirates improve to 21-8 and winners of four straight.
Sophomore LF
Anthony Godino (Thornwood, NY/Pleasantville) and freshman catcher
Phil Capra (North Salem, NY/North Salem) each has two hits on the afternoon with Capra driving in the lone RBI for the Seahawks. Freshman RHP
Douglas Molnar (Toms River, NJ/Toms River North) made his first career start for Wagner on the afternoon, tossing 3.1 innings, allowing five hits, three earned runs while walking three and striking out a batter to fall to 1-1 on the season.
Seton Hall's Matt Ardente came in relief of Sam Burum in the third and tossed three innings, allowing three hits, both earned runs while walking one and striking out one in improving to 3-0 on the season. After Ardente, Seton Hall used a total of four pitchers that combined to throw four innings of scoreless relief, allowing just two hits and striking out four batters. Chris Chiaradio and Mike Caputo each had three hits for Seton Hall on the afternoon, with Derek Jenkins driving in a team-best three RBIs.
The Pirates scored the game's first run in the bottom of the second. Ryan Ramiz led off the frame with a walk. Caputo advanced Ramiz to third on a single to right field. Joe Poduslenko reached on a fielder's choice as Caputo was thrown out at second allowing Ramiz to score. Wagner answered back in the top of the third.
Ardente came on in relief of Burum. Facing two outs, Godino sent a 0-1 back to Ardente for a two-out single. Sophomore SS
Sean Mazzio (West Chester, PA/Salesianum School [DE]) laced a double to center, giving the Green & White runners on second and third before Godino scored on a wild pitch tying the game at 1-1. The next Wagner batter, Capra, smoked a single to second base, allowing Mazzio to cross the plate and give Wagner a 2-1 advantage. The freshman catcher was thrown out trying to steal second to conclude the Seahawks' threat.
After Wagner had been held scoreless in the top of the fourth, Seton Hall went back on the offensive, scoring four times on three hits. Caputo jump started the stanza with a double down the left field line. Molnar was able to retire Poduslenko on a line out to center before Seton Hall sent up Matt Fortin to hit for Luke Cahill. Fortin walked giving the Pirates runners on first and second.
Wagner head coach,
Jim Carone, summoned for a left-hander in the form of senior
Paul Mammino (Hillsborough, NJ/Hillsborough). The first batter that the veteran lefty faced, Chiaradio, singled to right center, scoring Caputo and tying the game at 2-2. The big blow in the frame came off a 1-0 pitch to Jenkins, who delivered an inside the park homerun, giving Seton Hall a 5-2 edge.
The Seahawks best chance came in the top of the sixth as Godino led off the inning with a frozen rope single up the middle on a 3-1 pitch from newly inserted right-hander, Matt Leon. Godino made his way to second on a throwing error by the Pirates' catcher. After a strikeout to Mazzio, Capra went with the 1-1 pitch down the first base line, but Seton Hall's Mikael-Ali Mogues was able to scoop up the grounder and flip to Leon for the second out while Godino trotted to third. Freshman 1B
Anthony Harrold (Woodbury, NJ/Gloucester Catholic) grounded out to short ending the threat.
Wagner held Seton Hall's bats at bay in the bottom of the sixth, but the Pirates erupted in the bottom half of the seventh for four more runs giving them a 9-2 lead, which is how the contest concluded.
The Seahawks will have a day off tomorrow before starting a four-game Northeast Conference (NEC) weekend series on the road as they cross the Verrazano Bridge to tangle with the LIU Brooklyn Blackbirds. Friday's game is set for a 3:00 p.m. first pitch. Saturday's doubleheader is scheduled for a 1:00 p.m. start and the series finale on Sunday concludes with a single, nine-inning affair on Sunday, starting at 1:00 p.m.
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