Pictured Above: Sophomore catcher James Wise (Photo by: Robert Pimpsner, PinstripedProspects)

Box Score (PDF) | Box Score (HTML)
 
Staten Island, NY - The Wagner College baseball team dropped the series finale on Sunday to the Bryant University Bulldogs, 6-5.
 
With the loss, the Seahawks falter to 6-17, 2-5 in Northeast Conference (NEC) play while the Bulldogs improve to 10-18 and 5-1 in league contests.
 
Sophomore catcher James Wise (Staten Island, NY/Tottenville) recorded his first career multi-hit game, going 2-for-4 with two RBIs. Second-year 1B Phil Capra (North Salem, NY/North Salem) and freshman designated hitter Freddy Sabido (Staten Island, NY/Susan E. Wagner [Saint Louis University]) both went 2-for-3 on the afternoon with a run scored each. Junior SS Sean Mazzio (West Chester, PA/Salesianum School [DE}) went 1-for-5 at the dish, connecting on his third home run of the season.
 
On the mound, sophomore LHP Neil Abbatiello (North Salem, NY/Dobbs Ferry) lasted four innings, giving up three hits and three earned runs while walking four and striking out one in earning the no decision.
 
Second-year reliever Douglas Molnar (Toms River, NJ/Toms River North) came on for Abbatiello and went 4.2 innings in taking the loss on the afternoon (0-2). The second-year right-hander Molnar was dominated early, scattering two hits over his first three innings of work.
 
After getting Cole Fabio to pop up to second and Nick Angelini to fly out to center, Jimmy Titus laced a double to right center. The next batter, Mickey Gasper, sent Molnar's 3-1 pitch to center as Titus came around to score the tying run as the score was knotted at 5-5. Molnar got ahead of Chris Wright 1-2 before his fifth pitch grazed the Bulldogs' first baseman, giving the visitors runners on first and second.
 
Freshman Nick Robino (Wilmington, DE/Salesianum School) was brought in to replace Molnar, who had thrown 66 pitches, 40 of which went for strikes. The first batter Robino saw, Gaby Cruz, put Bryant ahead as his single to right center scored Gasper, giving the Bulldogs a 6-5 lead. Robino was able to strike out Tyler Panno to end the threat.
 
The Seahawks couldn't get to the Bulldogs' closer, Logan Lessard, who retired the Green & White in order in the bottom of the ninth as Bryant left Staten Island taking three of four in the weekend series.
 
The Bulldogs loaded the bases in the opening frame with no outs but were only able to bring in one run as Abbatiello, following three straight free passes, was able to get Gasper to ground into a 4-3 double play and closed out the inning with the second consecutive ground out.
 
Wagner erupted for three runs in the bottom of the second in taking a two-run lead. Singles from Capra and Sabido gave the Seahawks runners on first and second with no outs. Sophomore 3B Anthony Pecora (Mamaroneck, NY/Mamaroneck) bunted a 0-2 pitch back to the mound. Bryant's starter, Ross Weiner, fielded the bunt and attempted to throw the runner out at third, but the ball sailed down the LF line, allowing Capra to tie the game at 1-1.
 
Wise followed with a RBI single to right field that brought in Sabido and moved Pecora to third. Sophomore CF Joe Silvestrone (Manalapan, NJ/Freehold Township) put the Seahawks ahead 3-1 on a fielder's choice.
 
Wagner tacked on another run in the bottom of the third, extending their lead to 4-1. Junior LF Anthony Godino (Thornwood, NY/Pleasantville) drew a seven-pitch walk, and Capra was hit by a pitch, prompting Bryant to go to its bullpen. Craig Lacey came on for the visitors and walked Sabido on five pitches, loading the bases for Pecora. On the first-pitch Pecora saw, he ripped a laser that was destined for the outfield, but Bryant's Fabio was able to snare it and toss to second, doubling off Capra. With two outs, Wise was facing a full count and on the sixth pitch was able to single to center, scoring Godino.
 
Bryant responded with two runs in the top half of the fourth, cutting the deficit to 4-3. The leadoff hitter, Gasper, was hit by a pitch. Abbatiello got Wright to fly to Silvestrone in centerfield for the first out of the stanza. Cruz sent a single to right, giving Bryant runners on first and second and moved up on Panno's grounder to first. Marotta delivered a two-run single to right in closing the gap to one. The visitors had loaded bases again, but Abbatiello was able to end the threat on a fly out to left.
 
Following a scoreless fifth and sixth innings, Wagner went ahead, 5-3, on the heels of Mazzio's third home run of the season. For the third-year Seahawk, he sent Lacey's 1-0 pitch over the left field wall in notching his fourth career round tripper.
 
The Bulldogs would score in the top of the eighth, cutting the Wagner lead to 5-4. Wright singled up the middle to start the comeback for the visitors. Following a strikeout of Cruz, Panno hit singled to first, putting two runners on. Marotta reached on a fielder's choice with Wright coming into score as the ball went wide at first on a potential inning-ending double play.
 
Nathan Wrighter earned the victory for the Bulldogs after going 1.2 innings for his first win of the season. Lessard recorded his fifth save of the season for the visitors.
 
Wagner will play a pair of Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference (MAAC) opponents, beginning on Tuesday, April 11, as the Seahawks travel to Jersey City, NJ to tangle with Saint Peter's before heading to Lawrenceville, NJ in battling the Rider University Broncs.