Pictured Above: Junior catcher Phil Capra (Credit: Greg Fencik)
Box Score (PDF) |
Box Score (HTML)
Plymouth Meeting, PA – Junior catcher
Phil Capra powered the offense while third-year southpaw starter,
Neil Abbatiello limited the Villanova bats as the Wagner baseball team was victorious on Saturday afternoon, 7-2.
With the victory, the Seahawks improve to 25-12 on the season while the Wildcats fall to 6-25.
On the afternoon, seven of the Green & White starters had at least one hit, led by Capra, who finished the day 3-for-5 at the plate. All three of his hits were home runs as the North Salem, NY native drove in five of the team's seven runs on the day. Senior RF
Kyle Cala went 2-for-5 while driving in the remaining runs with a third-inning home run.
Wagner became the second team, along with West Virginia back in 2009, to hit four home runs at the Villanova Ballpark at Plymouth. Capra made history this afternoon, becoming the first hitter with a three-home run performance at the stadium (Credit: Villanova University Media Relations Department/David Berman).
3+ Home Runs By A Team at the Villanova Ballpark at Plymouth (opened 2003)
| 4 |
Wagner College |
April 21, 2018 |
vs. Villanova |
| 4 |
West Virginia |
March 29, 2009 |
vs. Villanova |
| 3 |
Villanova |
April, 18, 2009 |
vs. University of South Florida (USF) |
| 3 |
Villanova |
April, 1, 2008 |
vs. LaSalle |
Multi-Homer Games at the Villanova Ballpark at Plymouth
| 3 |
Phil Capra |
Wagner College |
April 21, 2018 |
vs. Villanova |
| 2 |
Matt Fleishman |
Villanova |
May 14, 2010 |
vs. Notre Dame |
| 2 |
Travis Whitmore |
Pittsburgh |
April, 18, 2010 |
vs. Villanova |
| 2 |
Matt McFolling |
Villanova |
April 18, 2009 |
vs. University of South Florida (USF) |
| 2 |
Kyle Carver |
Villanova |
April 23, 2008 |
vs. Saint Joseph's |
| 2 |
Joe Cotter |
Villanova |
April 1, 2008 |
vs. LaSalle |
In Wagner history, Capra is the first Seahawk to hit three home runs in a game since
Vin Avella accomplished the feat back on March 18, 2009, when he had three homers and nine RBI vs. Coppin State.
Multi-Homer Games By Wagner (since 2009)
| 3 |
Phil Capra |
vs. Villanova |
April 21, 2018 |
| 3 |
Vin Avella |
at. Coppin State |
March 18, 2009 |
| 2 |
Phil Capra |
at Coppin State |
February 24, 2018 |
| 2 |
Freddy Sabido |
at Fairleigh Dickinson-2 |
May 6, 2017 |
| 2 |
Freddy Sabido |
at Fairleigh Dickinson-1 |
May 6, 2017 |
| 2 |
Phil Capra |
vs. Central Connecticut |
February 14, 2017 |
| 2 |
Kyle Cala |
at LIU Brooklyn-2 |
April 8, 2016 |
| 2 |
Nick Mascelli |
at Mount St. Mary's |
March 24, 2016 |
| 2 |
Nick Dini |
@ LIU Brooklyn |
May 12, 2013 |
Abbatiello (5-0) remained unbeaten on the season in picking up his fifth win, as the southpaw allowed one run on three hits over 6.2 innings while walking one and matching a season-high seven strikeouts. This marks the seventh time in ten starts that the former Dobbs Ferry High School product has struck out a minimum of five batters. Additionally, this marks the fifth time this year he has recorded seven punchouts. Sophomore RHP
Nick Zuppe fired the final 2.1 innings, allowing two hits, a run while walking one and striking out one.
Following back-to-back scoreless innings, the Seahawks erupted for the game's first runs in the top of the third, as the visitors sent all nine men to the plate and scored four times in taking the early lead.
Senior 2B
Nick Mascelli led off the inning being hit by a pitch. Senior SS
Sean Mazzio moved Mascelli into scoring position on a well-executed sacrifice bunt. On the first-pitch that Capra saw from Villanova starter, Jimmy Kingsbury, he connected for his team-leading tenth home run as Wagner led 2-0.
Senior LF
Anthony Godino continued the inning with a base hit through the left side. With two outs and the count at 1-0, Cala rocketed a two-run home run down the left field line in extending the Seahawks lead to 4-0. The visitors got two more hits from juniors
Joe Silvestrone and
Will Johnson, but could not extend the inning further as Johnson was forced out at second.
Abbatiello set down Nova in the bottom half of the third as Wagner opened the fourth with two more in building a 6-0 lead. Mazzio singled through the left side on a 2-0 pitch with one out. Capra stepped into the batter's box and uncorked Kingsbury's 2-1 pitch over the right field wall for his second home run of the day and 11th of the season.
Villanova scored its first run in the bottom of the seventh. John Heilenbach sent a one-out double to left field and moved to third as Ryan Toohers flew out to center. On the first pitch of the at-bat to Chris Rotondo, he ripped Abbatiello's pitch to left, scoring Heilenbach.
Abbatiello walked Dominic Sarro on five-pitch, which ended his day. Zuppe came on and walked Tyler Bruno to load the bases for the Wildcats. The sophomore right-hander regained his composure on the mound and struck out Pat O'Neill to end the inning.
The 2018 Johnny Bench Award Watch List candidate, Capra, closed out his afternoon with a leadoff solo round tripper to right field in giving the Seahawks a 7-1 lead. Villanova closed out the game with the final run coming on a RBI single from Sarro that scored Toohers from second.
These two teams close out their weekend series on Sunday afternoon at 1:00 p.m.
Follow us: #CHAOSonthehill
Wagner Athletics:
Wagner Baseball:
Wagner Gameday:
