Pictured Above: The six senior members of the Wagner baseball, who were recognized prior to this afternoon's contest.


Box Score (PDF) | Box Score (HTML) 

Staten Island, NY - The Wagner baseball team scored seven of its eight runs over the first three innings en route to an 8-5 victory over defending Northeast Conference (NEC) champion Sacred Heart in game one of Saturday's conference doubleheader.

With the win, the Seahawks improved to 17-30 on the season while running their conference record to 11-16. The Pioneers, who suffered their third straight defeat, fell to 27-22 and 17-9 in league play.

Before the start of the contest, six of Wagner's senior baseball players were recognized on Senior Day in an on-field ceremony, accompanied by their parents.

Wagner's 2-3-4 hitters, comprised of senior outfielders Trey Nicosia (State College, PA/State College Area) and Ben Ruta (West Windsor, NJ/West-Windsor Plainsboro South), along with freshman catcher Phil Capra (North Salem, NY/North Salem), went a combined 6-for-9 with five of the eight RBIs. Capra had a team-high three RBIs in the victory. 

Junior shortstop Nick Mascelli (Clifton, NJ/Seton Hall Prep), sophomore LF Kyle Cala (Brick, NJ/Brick Memorial) and freshman designated hitter Anthony Pecora (Mamaroneck, NY/Mamaroneck) each drove in a run.

On the hill, senior left-hander Matt Morris (Matawan, NJ/St. John Vianney) tossed 4.1 innings in earning his 13th career win (4-4 on the season), which ties him for tenth all-time with former Seahawk hurlers Ryan Casey ('14) and Mark Nugent ('98). 

Jayson Sullivan led the Pioneers' offense, going 3-for-3 with two runs score while Victor Sorrento and P.J. DeFilippo each drove in two RBIs in defeat.  Jesus Medina was tagged for seven runs (six earned) in 2.2 innings in taking the loss (3-4). 

The Seahawks struck first with a two-run bottom of the first.  Back-to-back hits from Mascelli and Nicosia gave the Seahawks runners on first and second to open the ballgame.  Ruta then roped a single through the left side scoring Mascelli from second as Wagner took a 1-0 lead.  Pecora reached on an error by SHU's shortstop, Zack Short, which scored Nicosia giving the Green & White a two-run advantage.

Morris set down the Pioneers in order in the top of the second before the Seahawks went back to work in the bottom of the frame.  Senior 1B John Lynn (Wallingford, PA/Salesianum School [DE]) singled to right center to start the stanza. A walk to sophomore 2B Kyle Brey (Middletown, NJ/Middletown South) setup runners on first and second. Following a sacrifice bunt from Nicosia, Ruta was intentionally walked to load the bases for Capra.

The first-year Seahawk, a switch-hitter who batted lefty against the right-hander Medina, cleared the bases with a deep double to the left centerfield wall as Wagner claimed a 5-0 lead. The Green & White tacked on two more in the bottom of the third as Mascelli sent a sacrifice fly to left field while Nicosia singled to right scoring Lynn before SHU went to the bullpen.  

The Pioneers chipped into the Seahawks' lead in the top of the fourth as DeFilippo sent a two-run single to right field that cut the lead to 7-2. Sacred Heart added one more in the top of the fifth on an RBI sac-fly from Alex Perry that trimmed the deficit to four, 7-3.  

Wagner added to its lead in the bottom of the sixth as Cala took a 0-1 pitch from Jackson Aldam to right, scoring Ruta as the home team went up 8-3. 

In the top of the seventh against senior right-hander Nathan Hunt (Kirtland, OH/Hawken School), the Pioneers mounted a comeback. With one-out, Perry was awarded first base after being hit by an inside pitch. Sullivan doubled down the leftfield line, giving SHU runners on second and third. Sorrento took the first pitch he saw and sent a single down the right field line, scoring both Perry and Sullivan as the Pioneers trailed 8-5. 

Hunt was able to regain his composure and get Short and Dan Schock to fly out to Nicosia in center, sending Wagner to its fourth straight victory. 

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