Pictured Above: Sophomore C/1B
Phil Capra, who delivered the game-winning RBI single in the bottom of the 11th (Photo Credit: Dave Saffran)
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Staten Island, NY - In the final regular season home game of the 2017 season, the Wagner College baseball team needed extra innings to deliver a memorable conclusion, as they defeated Central Connecticut State University Blue Devils, 5-4, in 11 innings in game two of Sunday's Northeast Conference (NEC) doubleheader.
With the victory, the Seahawks, who split the four-game series with the Blue Devils, improve to 18-25 and 10-11 in league play while CCSU falls to 28-20 and 17-7 in conference games.
The Green & White are one game out of the final playoff spot in the NEC standings, as LIU Brooklyn, which is tied with Sacred Heart at 11-11 in league play, swept Fairleigh Dickinson this afternoon (5-1 in game one; 5-3 in 10 in game two). The Pioneers dropped two games on Friday to Bryant.
Wagner split its four-game series with the Blackbirds and took two of three from Sacred Heart.
Sophomore C/1B
Phil Capra (North Salem, NY/North Salem), who drove in all four Seahawk runs in game one, delivered the game-winning RBI single in the bottom of the eleventh, as he finished 1-for-5 with three RBIs in the nightcap. Junior LF
Anthony Godino (Thornwood, NY/Pleasantville) went 3-for-5 with two runs scored and an RBI in the victory.
Junior RF
Kyle Cala (Brick, NJ/Brick Memorial) and junior 2B
Kyle Brey (Middletown, NJ/Middletown South) along with sophomore CF
Joe Silvestrone (Manalapan, NJ/Freehold Township) had two hits in the second game. Junior SS
Sean Mazzio (West Chester, PA/Salesianum School [DE}) went 1-for-1 with four walks and two runs scored.
Sophomore LHP
Neil Abbatiello (North Salem, NY/Dobbs Ferry) made his third start of the season, going 4.2 innings, allowing five hits, three earned runs while walking three and striking out four. Freshman RHP
Chris Mormile (Wildwood, NJ/Wildwood) came on in relief, tossing 3.1 innings, giving up two hits and an unearned run while walking three and striking out two. Second-year RHP
Douglas Molnar (Toms River, NJ/Toms River North) picked up his third win of the season (3-4) after tossing three scoreless innings while surrendering two hits with a walk and strikeout.
Wagner struck first in their half of the first, scoring two runs in the bottom of the inning in taking a 2-0 lead. Mazzio led off with a walk. Godino ripped a single to left field, giving the home team runners on first and second. Both Mazzio and Godino moved up ninety feet after safely executing a double steal. Capra sent CCSU starter Ron Grant's 3-2 pitch to right field as Mazzio tagged up and scored on the play. The next batter, freshman designated hitter
Freddy Sabido (Staten Island, NY/Susan E. Wagner [Saint Louis Univ]) drove in Godino on a RBI grounder to shortstop.
The Blue Devils cut the Seahawks' lead in half, 2-1, in the top of the second. With two outs, Franklin Jennings was hit and advanced to second on a wild pitch. With the count at 2-1, play stopped due to a brief 18-minute rain delay. When play resumed, Dylan Maher walked, giving the Blue Devils runners on first and second. With Abbatiello behind in the count, Nick Landell sent a double down the left field line, scoring Jennings.
The visitors plated two runs across in the top of the third in taking a 3-2 lead. Ryan Costello sent a one-out double to right center and came around to score on an RBI single from Mitch Guilmette, evening the game at 2-2. The Blue Devils scored the go-ahead run when Chris Kanios singled, allowing Guilmette to cross the plate.
Wagner regained the lead with two runs in the bottom of the fourth as the Green & White went up by one, 4-3. Brey led off the stanza with a single to right and was moved over on a sacrifice bunt from Mazzio. With the count full, Godino laced a triple down the left field line, scoring Brey in knotting the game at 3-3. Capra drove in his second RBI of the contest and sixth of the day on a grounder to short, plating Godino.
Central threatened in the top of the fifth. Abbatiello walked Costello with one out before striking out Buddy Dewaine. Costello moved up to second on a wild pitch was later joined on the base path with an intentional to Guilmette. Wagner went to the bullpen, bringing in the right-hander Mormile. The neophyte righty pumped a fastball past Kanios, ending the inning and preserving the Seahawks lead.
The score remained 4-3 until the top of the ninth. Landell started the Blue Devils' ninth with a single to center and moved into scoring position on a wild pitch from Mormile. The next batter, Dean Lockery, was hit by a pitch, giving the Blue Devils runners, with the tying run standing at second. The Seahawks brought in Molnar. The first batter he saw, Tyler Coleman reach on a fielding error from the centerfield as Landell came in to score, knotting the game at 4-4. Molnar settled down on the hill, getting Costello to fly out to left before inducing a 6-3 double play to end the ninth. Wagner was retired in order, sending the game into extras.
In the tenth, CCSU got things going with a leadoff base hit from Guilmette before moving to second on Kanios sacrifice bunt. Jennings sent a grounder to second which advanced Guilmette to third with two outs. CCSU went to its bench, bringing in Nick Garland to pinch-hit for Maher and Molnar was able to strike Garland out on a high fastball, stranding the go-ahead run at third. The Seahawks couldn't muster the winning run, so the game moved to the eleventh.
In the top of the eleventh, Landell drew a four-pitch walk but was retired when sophomore catcher
James Wise (Staten Island, NY/Tottenville) fired a laser down to second in throwing out Landell trying to steal. Molnar got Lockery to popup to short before Coleman reached on a single back-up-the-middle with two outs. The Toms River, NJ right-hander got Costello to ground out, ending the Blue Devils chances.
In the bottom of the frame, Mazzio drew his fourth walk of the afternoon. Godino singled to center, which the potential winning run in Mazzio to second. On the second pitch of the at-bat, Capra smoked a single to right field as Mazzio hurried around the bases and slid home safely, bringing the Seahawks' bench to jump out of the dugout and celebrate the victory.
CCSU's Grant went six innings, allowed nine hits, four earned runs while walking four and striking out three in taking the no-decision. Reliever Kyle Anderson was tabbed with the loss, his second of the season (0-2) as he came on to fire four innings, giving up three hits, one run, which proved to be the game-winner while walking two and striking out two.
The Seahawks conclude the 2017 regular season in Emmitsburg, MD, as Wagner takes on Mount St. Mary's in the final four games of the year, beginning on Thursday, May 18.
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