Thibodaux, LA – The Wagner baseball dropped the final game of the Mardi Gras Invitational, falling 11-4 to host, Nicholls State on Saturday afternoon. The Green & White return home with a 1-2 mark while the Colonels improve to 4-3 on the young season.
Four Seahawks finished with two hits in the game, led by junior RF
Kyle Cala (Brick, NJ/Brick Memorial), who finished the day 2-for-4 with a run scored and team-best three RBIs. Senior 1B
Brad Currao (Howell, NJ/St. Rose) also went 2-for-4 and added an RBI. Sophomore CF
Joe Silvestrone (Manalapan, NJ/Freehold Township) and junior LF
Anthony Godino (Thornwood, NY/Pleasantville) also had two hits for the visitors.
Wagner featured five new arms in the final game of the three-day invitational, as freshman hurler
Chris Mormile (Wildwood, NJ/Wildwood) started his first collegiate game, going five innings while surrendering two hits, an earned run, four walks and two strikeouts in his debut. RHP
Ryan Lauk (Mullica Hill, NJ/Clearview Regional) came in relief of Mormile, throwing an inning in which he gave up two hits, an earned run, a walk and a strikeout. Newcomer
Rico Viani (Monroe Township, NJ/Monroe Township) took the loss in his first collegiate outing.
Nicholls' CF Chet Niehaus and Lee Clark each had two hits to pace the Colonels with Clark driving in two RBIs. Starter Cayden Hatcher lasted just 4.2 innings, giving up eight hits, four earned runs while walking three and fanning four batters. Adam Tarver earned the victory, pitching 2.1 scoreless innings of relief while striking out three Seahawks.
The Colonels struck for the game's first run in the bottom of the second on a RBI grounder from Quade Smith in which Lee Clark scored from third. Following a scoreless 3rd and 4th inning, the Seahawks put up a four-spot in the top of the fifth, all coming with two outs. Godino singled through the left side and promptly stole second.
Sophomore catcher
Phil Capra (North Salem, NY/North Salem) laced a single back up the middle, giving Wagner runners at the corners. A walk to sophomore 2B
Anthony Pecora (Mamaroneck, NY/Mamaroneck) loaded the bases for Cala, who immediately unloaded them with a triple to right center field. Currao brought in Cala with an infield single to shortstop, giving the Seahawks a 4-1 advantage.
Nicholls got one back in the bottm of the sixth, which closed the gap to 4-2 as Clark homered over the right center field wall and ultimately put the game away in the bottom of the seventh with a nine-run outburst coming on three hits and four misques.
The Seahawks will remain on the road as they travel to Big Ten members, Rutgers, on February 28 for a 3:00 pm first-pitch in Piscataway, NJ.
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