Staten Island, NY - For the second time this season and fourth in his Wagner baseball career, senior RHP
Austin Goeke (Bordentown, NJ/The Hun School) crafted a complete game in his final home start of the season, limiting the Central Connecticut State University Blue Devils to just four hits, as the Seahawks picked up a 5-2 victory in game one of Friday's Northeast Conference (NEC) doubleheader.
With the win, the Seahawks picked up their third straight victory in improving to 17-23 and 9-9 in league play while the Blue Devils fell to 26-19 and 15-7 in conference action.
Goeke gave up two runs, just one of which was earned, while walking two and striking out three in the victory. This afternoon's win for Goeke marked his 13th career victory, tying him for tenth on the all-time wins list with former Seahawks
Matt Morris ('16), Ryan Casey ('14) and Mark Nugent ('98). In addition, with the three strikeouts in the contest, Goeke has now recorded 177 for his career, putting him in sole possession of sixth place on the all-time strikeout list, breaking a tie between former Seahawk hurlers, Ryan Van Spronsen ('12) and Jim Morio ('63), who each had 174 punchouts in their careers.
Eight of the nine Seahawk starters recorded a hit with sophomore catcher
Phil Capra (North Salem, NY/North Salem) and junior RF
Kyle Cala (Brick, NJ/Brick Memorial) each contributing two hits. Junior LF
Anthony Godino (Thornwood, NY/Pleasantville) had two RBIs in the victory. Capra and freshman 1B
Nick D'Amore (Philadelphia, PA/Neumann-Goretti) each had a RBI in game one.
Central Connecticut starter Brendan Smith went six innings, allowing ten hits, five runs (three earned) while walking two and striking out five in taking the loss. Nick Plachno came on in relief, tossing two scoreless innings, with a strikeout and a walk.
Tyler Coleman, Mitch Guilmette, Buddy Dewaine, and Franklin Jennings were the four Blue Devils to record a hit in the contest. Guilmette and Jennings were credited with a RBI apiece.
The Seahawks got on the board first in the bottom of the first. Junior SS
Sean Mazzio (West Chester, PA/Salesianum School [DE]) led off with a single to center. Freshman designated hitter
Freddy Sabido followed up with a base hit. On a 3-1 count, Capra smashed a ball to deep center field that one-hopped over the wall for a ground-rule double, scoring Mazzio and giving Wagner a 1-0 lead. Godino cleared the bases on the next at-bat with a single to the left, plating Sabido and Capra.
Central Connecticut got on the board in the top of the second. With two outs, Dewaine walked, stole second and advanced to third on a throwing error. Jennings then ripped Goeke's 2-2 pitch to left, scoring Dewaine before being thrown out at second.
Following a scoreless third, the Blue Devils trimmed the Wagner lead to one at 3-2 in the top of the fourth, thanks to another timely two-out hit as Guilmette singled to right center, scoring Coleman from third.
The Green & White responded with a run in the bottom of the stanza, extending the lead to 4-2. With one out, D'Amore reached on a fielder's choice as sophomore CF
Joe Silvestrone (Manalapan, NJ/Freehold Township) scored on the play after reaching on a fielder's choice himself and moving to third on a throwing error by the shortstop.
The Seahawks scored their final run in the bottom of the sixth. Silvestrone reached on an infield single that ricocheted off the top part of the pitcher's glove. Silvestrone advanced to third and ultimately scored on a throwing error by the Blue Devils catcher.
Goeke retired the final nine batters of the contest, on a pair of strikeouts, four flyball outs, and three grounders, in recording the complete game.
