Pictured Above: Junior Kyle Cala (photo by Chris Fisher)

Box Score (PDF) | Box Score (HTML)

Staten Island, NY – The Wagner College baseball team took a 4-3 lead in the seventh inning against Big East member Villanova, before falling to the Wildcats in 10 innings by the count of 8-4 at a chilly Richmond County Bank Ballpark tonight. Villanova tied the game in the ninth inning, before scoring four runs in the 10^th to secure the win.

With the loss, the Seahawks fall to 10-18 on the season, while Villanova improves to 8-20 on the year.

Junior outfielder Kyle Cala (Brick, NJ / Brick Memorial) paced the Green & White by banging out four hits on the evening, while sophomore Joe Silvestrone (Manalapan, NJ / Freehold Township) contributed three of the four Seahawk RBIs on two hits. Sophomore Anthony Pecora (Mamaroneck, NY / Mamaroneck) also had a multi-hit game.

On the mound, sophomore Douglas Molnar (Toms River, NJ / Toms River North) was charged with the loss, after throwing 1.2 innings in relief, allowing three runs (one earned). Starter Ethan Pritchett (Camden, NJ / Neumann-Goretti) lasted four innings, giving up one unearned run while striking out three in taking the no decision. 

Sophomore Neil Abbatiello (North Salem, NY / Dobbs Ferry) struck out six over 3.2 innings, giving up two runs, while freshman Nick Robino (Wilmington, DE / Salesianum School) and senior Eric McGough (Media, PA / Archbishop John Carroll) also made relief appearances. Reliever Ryan Doty was credited with the win for Villanova as he blanked Wagner in his two innings of work before Jason Applegate came on to pitch a scoreless 10^th inning in earning a save.
 
After the visitors opened the scoring in the top half of the second inning, as an error allowed David Rogers to reach and Todd Czienege to score, the Seahawks countered with a run in the bottom half of the inning.

Cala led off the frame with a ground-rule double, before a Pecora bunt single moved him to third. Silvestrone then followed with an RBI fielder's choice to tie the game at 1-1.

Wagner took the lead in the third, as three straight singles by sophomore catcher Phil Capra (North Salem, NY/North Salem) , Cala, and Pecora made the score 2-1 in favor of the Seahawks.

Both teams traded zeroes on the scoreboard until the seventh inning, when a Czienege triple gave the Wildcats the 3-2 lead in the contest.

The Seahawks again had the right answer. Cala got the rally started once more with a base hit, followed by a walk to Pecora. Next up, Silvestrone singled home both runners to give Wagner a 4-3 advantage heading into the eighth. Villanova then tied it up in the top of the ninth, before plating four more in the 10th.
.
Wagner returns to Northeast Conference (NEC) play with a three-game series at Sacred Heart, beginning on Friday, April 21 with a 3:00 p.m. start.

Follow us: #CHAOSonthehill
Wagner Athletics       
Wagner Baseball:  
Wagner Gameday: