Pictured Above: Sophomore 1B Phil Capra (Photo Credit: Dave Saffran)
 
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Staten Island, NY - Extra innings was needed in game two of Saturday's doubleheader after Wagner and LIU Brooklyn were deadlocked at 7-7 after seven innings. An RBI double in the top of the ninth proved to be the difference as the Seahawks dropped the nightcap, 8-7.
 
With the loss, the Seahawks fell to 13-21 overall and 5-8 in Northeast Conference (NEC) play while the Blackbirds improved to 17-19; 7-10 in league play.
 
Sophomore 1B Phil Capra (North Salem, NY/North Salem) continued his hot hitting, leading the club with a 4-for-5 day at the plate, with a run scored and a RBI.
 
Classmates Anthony Pecora (Mamaroneck, NY/Mamaroneck) and Joe Silvestrone (Manalapan, NJ/Freehold Township) each went 2-for-4 with one RBI while Pecora and junior SS Sean Mazzio (West Chester, PA/Salesianum School [DE]) scored two of the team's seven runs.
 
Freshman RHP Ethan Pritchett (Camden, NJ / Neumann-Goretti) made his first-ever NEC start, lasting just 1.2 innings while giving up two hits, two unearned runs and walking five. First-year Seahawk reliever Steven Bowley (Medford, NJ/Holy Cross Academy) threw 1.1 innings in relief of Pritchett, giving up a hit and two earned runs while walking one.
 
Sophomore RHP reliever Douglas Molnar (Toms River, NJ/Toms River North) threw a career-high six innings in relief of Bowley, giving up six hit and four earned runs, with a walk and strikeout.
 
Wagner scored the game's first run in their half of the first. Mazzio kicked off the game with a leadoff walk and moved into scoring position on a sacrifice bunt by freshman DH Freddy Sabido (Staten Island, NY/Susan E. Wagner [Saint Louis Univ]). With two outs, Capra worked the count to 2-1 before sending LIU's starter Nick Freijomil's pitch deep into the hole for an infield hit, allowing Mazzio to score.
 
LIU Brooklyn answered with two in the top of the second in taking a one-run lead. Back-to-back walks to Anthony Capo and Jack Campsmith gave the visitors runners in scoring position. After Andrew Smith laid down a sacrifice bunt to advance both runners into scoring position, Charles Misiano sent a deep drive to centerfield for a sacrifice fly.
 
As Silvestrone made the catch, Capo tagged up and scored while Campsmith headed to third and eventually scored as Silvestrone's throw wound up in the Seahawk dugout, scoring Campsmith and giving LIU the lead.
 
Wagner knotted the game at 2-2 in the bottom of the inning. Pecora led off with a single to the left on the first pitch he saw. Silvestrone was hit by a pitch, giving the home team runners on first and second with no one out. Sophomore catcher James Wise (Staten Island, NY/Tottenville) then executed a perfect sac-bunt up the first base line, moving the runners, before Junior 2B Kyle Brey (Middletown, NJ/Middletown South) sent a screaming grounder to second that scored Pecora from third.
 
The Seahawks erupted for three runs in the bottom of the third in taking a 5-2 advantage. With one out, junior LF Anthony Godino (Thornwood, NY/Pleasantville) walked and moved to third when Capra collected his second hit of the game to right field. Junior RF Kyle Cala (Brick, NJ/Brick Memorial) then sent a grounder to second, which plated Godino, giving Wagner a 3-2 lead.
 
Pecora followed with a single to short that scored Capra to make it a 4-2 game with Pecora moving to second on a throwing error by the Blackbirds' shortstop. Silvestrone then stepped in and doubled to left field, scoring Pecora and knocking Freijomil out of the game as Wagner held a three-run edge at 5-2.
 
LIU Brooklyn answered with a five-run fourth inning in taking a 7-5 lead. Paiotti singled to center, scoring Smith. Misiano scored on a Molnar balk that made it 5-4. Arias followed with a single to left field, scoring Paiotti, who had reached on a single, which tied the game at 5-5. On a 2-1 pitch, Joe Curcio gave LIU the lead with a home run that went high and deep over the right field, putting on top by a 7-5 count.
 
The Green & White fought back to tie the game at 7-7.  Brey led off with an infield single to second. Mazzio doubled to right field, giving Wagner runners on second and third with no outs. Sabido then ripped a grounder to second, which scored Brey as the Seahawks trailed 7-6 before Mazzio tied it at 7-7 by scoring from third on a wild pitch.
 
Molnar had kept LIU at bay until the ninth when Curcio beat out an infield single and was advanced to second on a sacrifice bunt from Harrison Preschel. Capo delivered what would be the game-winning hit as his double to center field scored Curcio, giving the Blackbirds an 8-7 lead.
 
In the Seahawk ninth, LIU Brooklyn first went to the bullpen as they brought in their closer, Mike Kreiger. Freshman pinch-hitter, Eric Lauk (Mullica Hill, NJ/Clearview Regional) pinch-hit hit for Wise and singled back up the middle. Brey followed suit with a single to right as Lauk motored around the bases and stopped at third.
 
Mazzio went down on strikes for out number two as the Seahawks had one last chance in the form of Sabido. The towering 6-7 lefty hitter was down to his final strike when Kreiger was able to throw a pitch inside that Sabido couldn't catch up, with the strike out sealing the doubleheader sweep for LIU Brooklyn.
 
Baylor LaPointe earned the win for the visitors after throwing 4.2 innings of shutout ball, giving up just three hits and striking out four. Kreiger garnered his seventh save of the season.
 
The Seahawks and Blackbirds conclude their four-game conference series on Sunday in a nine-inning, single game, beginning at 1:00 p.m. from the Richmond County Bank Ballpark at St. George.


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