Pictured Above: Junior infielder Will Johnson (Credit: Greg Fencik)
 
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New Britain, CT –  The Wagner baseball team outscored Sacred Heart 8-1 in the extra innings, highlighted by a seven-run 11th inning, as the Seahawks went on to defeat the Pioneers 14-7 in the series finale on Saturday afternoon.
 
In sweeping the three-game series with SHU, Wagner improves to 15-10 on the season and 5-1 in Northeast Conference (NEC) play while the Pioneers falter to 5-15 and 1-4 in conference action. The Seahawks and Pioneers are scheduled to meet once more this season during the final weekend of NEC play on May 17-19.
 
The Seahawk 1-through-5 batters produced much of the offense in this afternoon's contest as the quintet went a combined 13-for-26, with 12 runs scored and 12 RBIs. Sophomore DH Freddy Sabido led the way, going 4-of-6 with four RBI while seniors Nick Mascelli and Sean Mazzio each had three hits in the victory.
 
Junior 3B Will Johnson and senior LF Anthony Godino had the biggest hits in the contest as Johnson delivered what turned out to be the go-ahead RBI single and Godino added a grand slam over the center field wall that highlighted the extra inning outburst. Senior LHP Brad Currao (1-0) earned the win in relief, allowing one run on one hit over 2.2 innings while also striking out a batter and walking two.
 
Sacred Heart got three hits apiece from Matt Sorrento and Jake Frasca with both men joining five others in driving in a run in defeat. Joe Greco (0-2) took the loss, working just two-thirds of an inning in giving up six runs (four earned) on three hits while walking two.
 
Wagner held a 5-0 lead heading into the bottom of the sixth before the Pioneers cut the deficit to two at 5-3. P.J. DeFilippo drew a one-out walk and moved to second when Austin Markmann singled to center. Cody Doyle scored Sacred Heart's first run with a double down the left field line, which moved Markmann down to third.
 
The next batter, Matt Sorrento, connected on a RBI base hit to left field, plating the Pioneers second run of the frame. SHU capped off the three-run inning when Frasca doubled to left cent, scoring Doyle. Freshman RHP Pat Gallagher replaced starter Neil Abbatiello (5.1 IP, 7 H, 3 ER, 3 BB, 7 K; no-decision) and retired Anthony Capozziello and Stephen Thibault via strikeouts ending the inning.
 
Wagner was held off the board in the top of the seventh, SHU moved to within one, 5-4, as Kyle Oliver connected on a one-out, solo home run to right. The visitors answered back in the top of the eighth, taking a 6-4 lead.
 
Mascelli led off the stanza with a solo shot that sailed over the left field wall, giving the Green & White a two-run lead. For the Clifton, NJ senior infielder, it marked the fourth round-tripper of the season and his eighth of his career. Sacred Heart rallied back in their half of the eight to tie the ballgame at 6-6. With one out, Sorrento singled through the left side and advanced to third on a double to left from Frasca.
 
Wagner went to the bullpen, as freshman RHP Nick LePre came on for Gallagher. Isiah Daubon came on as a pinch-hitter for Capozziello and took LePre's pitch back up-the-middle, scoring Sorrentino to bring the score to 6-5. Thibault brought in the tying run on the Pioneers fourth hit off the inning, a single that plated home Frasca, tying the game at 6-6.

After both teams failed to score in the ninth, Wagner opened up the tenth with a pair of one-out hits, a single to right off the bat off Mazzio and a double to left from Godino. Junior 1B/C Phil Capra drew a walk that loaded the bases for the visitors before Sabido put Wagner ahead, 7-6, off a sacrifice fly to center.
 
Sacred Heart started its half of the tenth with a Sorrento infield single to short. Frasca walked, giving SHU runners on first and second with no one out. Daubon then placed a sacrifice bunt up the third base line, moving both runners up a base. Thibault was intentionally walked to setup the potential game-ending double but Brown kept the game going with a RBI sacrifice fly to left.
 
In the eleventh, junior CF Joe Silvestrone doubled to right center field and advanced ninety feet on a sacrifice bunt from sophomore Tyler Sanfillippo. Johnson replaced Anthony Pecora and ripped an RBI single to left that proved to be the game-winner.
 
Wagner added six insurances runs, four coming off Godino's grand slam while Sabido and senior RF Kyle Cala added a pair of RBIs in capping off the seven-run 11th inning. Freshman RHP Mike Pirrotta came on for Currao.
 
The neophyte right-hander walked DeFilippo but retired Greco on liner to left and Doyle on strikes. DeFilippo advanced to second on a wild pitch but did not matter as Pirrotta struck out Julian Pedrouzo for the final out as Wagner held on for the series sweep.
 
For the third consecutive day, Wagner got the scoring going as the visitors took a 1-0 lead in the top of the first. Mazzio sent a one-out single through the right side and moved up to third when Godino reached on a fielder's choice as a throwing error by SHU's third baseman, Austin Markmann, gave the Seahawks runners on the corners.
 
Prior to Capra's at-bat, Godino stole his team-leading 12th base of the season. When Capra dug back into the batter's box, he sent a towering fly ball to center field that was snagged by Elijah Brown for the second out, which allowed Mazzio to tag up on the play and come across to score.
 
The Pioneers tried to answer back in the bottom of the frame. Brown sent a one-out single to right center. Abbatiello was able to retire Schock for the second out. Brown moved to third after a throwing error from the Seahawks backstop, Brandon Hall. SHU's DeFilippo walked, giving the home team runners on the corners but the threat was halted as Wagner's southpaw starter got Markmann to fly out to left ending the inning.
 
After both teams exchanged zeroes over the next three innings, the Green & White added to its lead with three runs in the top of the fifth, as Wagner extended its advantage to 4-0. Mascelli delivered a one-out double to center field and Mazzio walked, giving the Seahawks runners on first and second.
 
After Godino flew out to left for the second out of the inning, Capra drove in his second RBI of the afternoon, singling through the left side and moving to second on the throw from the Pios' leftfielder. The next hitter, Sabido, ripped a double to right field, bringing in both Mazzio and Capra as Wagner now led 4-0.
 
In the sixth, the Seahawks loaded the bases and Capra was credited with his third RBI of the contest after being hit by a Jackson Aldam pitch, scoring Mascelli as Wagner held a commanding 5-0 lead before Sacred Heart mounted its comeback.
 
The Seahawks are scheduled to take on Big East member, Seton Hall, on Wednesday, April 4.

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