Pictured Above: Sophomore right-hander Nick Robino, who recorded his sixth save of the season (Credit: Robert M. Pimpsner)
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Plymouth Meeting, PA – The Wagner baseball team took game one of its three-game weekend series at Villanova, 8-7, on Friday afternoon.
With the victory, the Seahawks improve to 24-12 while the Wildcats falter to 6-24. The 24 wins are tied for the second-most victories under seventh-year head coach,
Jim Carone, as his 2013 squad also recorded 24 wins. The most victories under coach Carone is 27, set back in 2015.
Junior catcher
Phil Capra and senior RF
Kyle Cala each had three hits on the afternoon while senior LF
Anthony Godino drove in three RBIs. Capra and Cala added two RBIs apiece in the victory.
Junior RHP
Eric Ligda (5-2) recorded his fifth victory of the season allowing three runs on eight hits while striking out six and yielding just two walks. Sophomore RHP
Nick Robino came on in the ninth and preserved the win, picking up his sixth save of the season. The Wilmington, DE native joins former closers Anthony Battaglia (2013), David Rees (2010), Ian Karlsson (2010), and Chris Pariseau (1999), in a tie for fifth on the single-season saves list. Robino's next save will match Pariesau's mark of seven, set back in 2000.
Tyler Bruno connected on four of the Wildcats 13 hits on the afternoon while driving in a pair of RBIs. JP Radvany had three hits with three RBIs in defeat. John Heilenbach was the third Nova player with a multi-hit game, going 2-for-4. Ryan Doty (2-7) allowed five runs (none earned) over five innings of work in taking the loss.
The Seahawks jumped out to an early 2-0 lead. Godino sent a deep fly to center which scored senior 2B
Nick Mascelli, who reached on fielding error by the second baseman. Fellow classmate,
Sean Mazzio, worked a seven-pitch walk before Capra loaded the bases on a single through the right side. Cala sent a two-out single through the right side in plating Wagner's second run of inning.
Villanova tied the game at 2-2 in the bottom of the third as Radvany sent a two-run single to left. He moved to third after a fielding error from Cala. The bases were loaded following a Heilenbach was hit by a pitch. Ligda settled down and struck out Jeff Manto on five pitches before ending the threat on a ground out.
The Seahawks broke the stalemate in the top of the fourth, scoring thrice in taking a 5-2 lead. Three straight base hits broke the 2-2 tie as junior 1B
Will Johnson singled through the right side, scoring Cala. Capra sent a bases clearing, two-run double the left field line in increasing the lead to three.
The Wildcats chipped into the lead with a run in the bottom of the fifth as Chris Rotondo sent a RBI grounder down the third baseline in scoring Radvany as Nova found themselves trailing by two, 5-3.
The Green & White struck again for three more runs in the top of the sixth, extending the lead to five at 8-3. Following back-to-back hits from Mazzio and Capra, Godino laced a double to left centerfield in scoring both. Cala added a sacrifice fly to left, scoring Godino.
The home team sent eight men to the plate in the bottom of the eighth, scoring four runs and finding themselves trailing by one, 8-7. Dominic Sarro kicked off the four-run eighth with an RBI single to left center. Radvany drove in David Gulati before Bruno singled through the right side scoring both Cole Channell and Ryan Toohers.
In the bottom of the ninth, Villanova was able to have the leadoff man, Timothy Lilly, reach base on a walk. Brandon Campos moved him over with a sacrifice bunt. Robino regained his form, striking out Sarro and ending the game in getting Josh Kim to fly out to right center.
The series continues tomorrow afternoon with a 1:00 p.m. first-pitch.
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