Pictured Above: Junior Joe Silvestrone
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Smithfield, RI – In a first-place Northeast Conference (NEC) showdown, Wagner and Bryant remained deadlocked at 1-1 until the bottom of the 11th inning when the Bulldogs got the game-winning RBI single in edging the Green & White, 2-1, in the series opener on Friday afternoon.
With the loss, Wagner falls to 32-15 and 17-6 in league play while Bryant improves to 28-19-1 and takes a one game lead over the Seahawks at 18-5. Today's contest marked the eighth straight meeting game between the clubs decided by two runs or less.
Junior CF
Joe Silvestrone drove in the only run for the Seahawks, connecting on a solo home run in the top of the second inning, in giving the visitors the early lead. Senior SS
Sean Mazzio had two hits on the day while senior LF
Anthony Godino, sophomore
Tyler Sanfillippo and freshman
Ben Montenegro also added one hit apiece in today's contest.
Junior right-hander,
Eric Ligda, tossed seven innings, giving up just one unearned run on four hits while not factoring into the decision.
Koby Bishop came on in relief of Ligda, hurling two scoreless frames. Freshman
Kevin Wiseman (1-3) took the last after going 1.2 frames, allowing two hits and the game-winning run in the bottom of the eleventh.
The Seahawks had the lead until the bottom of the sixth, when the Bulldogs tied the game. Nick Angelini singled up the middle to start the stanza and moved to second on a passed ball. A walk to Chris Wright gave the Bulldogs runners on first and second with no out. Ligda got Ryan Ward to ground into the 1-6-3 double play, with Angelini moving to third on the play.
Mickey Gasper sent a hard-hit ball into the hole on the left-side of short as Mazzio was able to get it and fire a throw over to Johnson at first, but he couldn't squeeze the ball into his mitt, allowing Angelini to score while
Will Johnson was charged with the fielding error.
In the eighth, Johnson was hit by a Nathan Wrighter pitch. With one out, the Seahawks went to their bench, as Montenegro replaced Sanfillippo and delivered a first-pitch single to left field, giving the visitors two runners on before senior
Nick Mascelli grounded into the 5-4-3 double play ending the threat.
In the ninth, Wagner got back-to-back hits from Mazzio and Godino but couldn't get the run across after Wrighter got junior
Phil Capra flew out to center while two straight grounders ended the frame. Bishop worked a 1-2-3 bottom of the ninth, using just six pitches to retire Bryant and sending the game into extra innings.
Wiseman entered the game in the bottom of the tenth. He promptly struck out pinch-hitter, Shane Kelly for the first out. Nick Angelini was hit by an errant pitch and Chris Wright walked, but Wiseman was able to regain his composure and get Ryan Ward and Mickey Gasper to fly out in ending the inning.
In the top of the 11th, Mascelli reached base after being hit by Wrighter, which concluded his afternoon as Craig Lacey came on to pitch. Mazzio moved Mascelli to second on a well-placed sacrifice bunt. The next batter, Godino, reached on the second HBP of the inning. Lacey settled back on the mound, striking out Capra and inducing the inning-ending groundout.
Gaby Cruz led off the bottom of the inning with a single through the left side. Malik Daley sent a sacrifice bunt up the first-base line, advancing Cruz to second. Wiseman got Tyler Panno to foul out to
Anthony Pecora at third. Sam Owens delivered the game-winner as he took Wiseman's first-pitch back-up-the middle as Cruz came around to score the winning run.
Owens led the way with two hits for Bryant. Angelini, Wright, Ward and Cruz all had a hit for the home team. Lacey earned his fourth win of the season, tossing a scoreless eleventh inning with a strikeout.
These teams will be back in action tomorrow afternoon from Contay Park with first-pitch set for 1:00 p.m
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