Pictured Above: Sophomore CF Joe Silvestrone, who went 2-for-5 with a career-high four RBIs (Photo: Chris Fisher)
 
Box Score (PDF) | Box Score (HTML)
 
Piscataway, NJ -  In a high scoring contest that saw the visiting Wagner College baseball team and the Rutgers University Scarlet Knights combine for 17 runs over the first three innings and five over the final six frames, the Seahawks' comeback attempt fell just short, as they fell 12-10 at Bainton Field on Tuesday afternoon.

With the loss, Wagner drops to 14-22 on the season while the Scarlet Knights improve to 17-25.

Seven of the nine Seahawks starters had a hit on the afternoon. Sophomore CF Joe Silvestrone (Manalapan, NJ/Freehold Township) went 2-for-5 with a career-best four RBIs. Junior LF Anthony Godino (Thornwood, NY/Pleasantville) drove in three of the team's ten runs on the afternoon while going 3-for-5 and two runs. Freshman designated hitter, Freddy Sabido (Staten Island, NY/Susan E. Wagner [Saint Louis Univ]) had three hits with a run scored while junior RF Kyle Cala (Brick, NJ/Brick Memorial) had two RBIs.

Freshman RHP Rico Viani (Monroe Township, NJ/Monroe Township) went 2.2 innings in his second career start, giving up five hits, eight earned runs while walking four and striking out three batters in taking the loss, falling to 0-4 on the year. Freshman reliever Steven Bowley (Medford, NJ/Holy Cross Academy) worked the final three innings for the Seahawks without giving up a run while just allowing two hits.

Rutgers' Eric Reardon pitched 4.2 innings in relief of starter Christian Campbell in earning the win (2-1) while Max Herrmann was credited with his sixth save of the season. Nick Matera and Kyle Walker each homered for the Scarlet Knights, with Walker going 3-for-5 with three RBIs and Matera driving in a team-high four on the day.

Wagner scored twice in the top of the first inning, all coming with two outs. Sophomore catcher Phil Capra (North Salem, NY/North Salem) singled to right center field. On a 2-2 pitch from Campbell, Godino blasted his third home run of the season and second in two games, giving the visitors an early 2-0 lead. The Scarlet Knights answered back with a four-spot in their half of the second in taking a 4-2 lead. After Viani got the leadoff batter to ground out, he issued back-to-back walks to Chris Folinusz and Matera. On the first pitch that Carmen Sclafani saw, he sent a double down the left field line, scoring Folinusz in cutting the lead to one, 2-1. Walker drilled a three-run home run over the left-field wall, giving the Scarlet Knights a 4-2 advantage.
 
The Green & White's hot hitting continued in their half of the third, erupting for five runs on four hits in regaining the lead at 7-4. Two consecutive hits from junior SS Sean Mazzio (West Chester, PA/Salesianum School [DE]) and Sabido gave the Seahawks runners on first and second. Capra would then draw a free pass, which loaded the bases for Godino. The Thornwood, NY native singled, scoring Mazzio. Cala was then hit by an errant pitch from Campbell, which brought in Sabido for the second run of the stanza. 

Wagner chased Campbell from the contest as Silvestrone sent a bases-clearing double, scoring Godino and Capra, putting the Seahawks up three, 7-4. Rutgers retaliated with six runs of their own in taking a 10-7 lead. Tom Marcinczyk drew a leadoff walk. Folinusz beat out an infield single, which moved Marcinczyk to second. Following a steal from Marcinczyk to third, Matera cleared the bases with a three-run home run over the left field wall on Viani's 1-1 pitch, tying the game at 7-7.

Viani regained his composure on the mound and retired the next two batters on a popup to first and a grounder to second. His final batter of the afternoon, Kevin Welsh, walked on four pitches, prompting the Seahawks to go to the bullpen. Senior LHP Brad Currao (Howell, NJ/St. Rose) came on for Viani and gave up an infield single to second to Mike Carter, giving Rutgers runners on first and second. Welsh and Carter executed a double steal in moving up a base before Welsh scored the go-ahead run on a passed ball, giving the Scarlet Knights an 8-7 lead. Rutgers added two more to close out the inning as Mike Martinez sent a two-run single to centerfield.

After both teams had a scoreless fourth inning, Rutgers tacked on two more in the bottom of the fifth, upping their lead to 12-7. Martinez walked and advanced to second on a wild pitch from senior RHP Eric McGough (Media, PA/Archbishop John Carroll) with one out. After a walk to Marcinczyk, the home team executed their second double steal of the game with the end result having Martinez scored on a wild pitch. McGough struck out Folinusz but allowed a RBI single to Matera as Rutgers went ahead by five.

The two teams remained locked at that score before the Seahawks staged a late rally in the top of the ninth, in which Wagner steadily climbed back in the contest.

Sabido led off with a single to the left and moved up to second on a wild pitch. Following a walk to Capra, Godino connected on his third hit of the day, a single to right, loading the bases.
Rutgers went back to the bullpen, bringing in Ryan Fleming. The first batter Fleming faced, Cala, was able to reach base on a fielding error the Scarlet Knights' third baseman, Walker, allowing Sabido to score, cutting the lead to 12-8.

Silvestrone worked the count full and trimmed the deficit to two on a double to left field, scoring both Capra and Godino and moving Cala to third with no one out and the score at 12-10. Fleming retired sophomore 3B/2B Anthony Pecora (Mamaroneck, NY/Mamaroneck) on a strikeout for the first out of the inning as Rutgers went back to the bullpen, this time bringing in Max Herrmann. Hermann was able to halt the Seahawks' comeback attempt with a pair of groundouts in closing out the contest.

Wagner resumes Northeast Conference (NEC) play this weekend, May 5 through May 7, as they travel to Teaneck, NJ to tangle with the Fairleigh Dickinson University Knights. Wagner and FDU renew their series after FDU took two-of-three from the Seahawks back in March at MCU Park in Brooklyn, NY.

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