With the win, the Seahawks earned its program-best 35th win of the season (35-16) while posting the first 20-win conference season in Seahawk history, moving to 20-7 in league play. Sacred Heart fell to 17-34 and 12-15 in conference-action.
Prior to the start of the game, Wagner honored its senior class, consisting of
Kyle Brey, Kyle Cala, Anthony Godino and
Sean Mazzio.
2018 Senior Day (Photo Credit: Stacy Podelski)
The Seahawks' come-from-behind win came on a day when senior second baseman
Nick Mascelli became Wagner's all-time career hit leader as his 3-for-5 afternoon gives him 247 base knocks, two better than former Green & White great, and current Kansas City Royals' minor leaguer, Nick Dini.
Third-year Seahawk,
Neil Abbatiello, lasted 4.1 innings, allowing three runs (two earned) on five hits while striking out four while not factoring in today's decision. Freshmen
Mike Pirrotta and
Nick LePre combined to toss the final 4.2 frames with LePre earning his first collegiate win (1-0), in pitching 2.1 scoreless innings.
Abbatiello's counterpart, James Taubl, also wasn't part of the decision despite going 6.1 innings while surrendering three runs (two earned) on eight hits. Cooper Thompson (4-5) suffered the loss in serving up the game-winning hit to Silvestrone.
At the plate for Wagner, three Seahawks had multi-hit games, led by senior SS
Sean Mazzio, who produced a 4-for-5 afternoon in scoring two runs. Mascelli concluded game one going 3-for-5 with two runs scored and a RBI. Senior RF
Kyle Cala ended the day 3-for-4 with a RBI. Junior catcher,
Phil Capra, chipped in the fourth RBI of the afternoon for the Seahawks.
Sacred Heart scored the game's first runs on a two-run home run to left off the bat of Dan Schock as he brought in Elijah Brown, who reached on a one-out single to right field. Both Brown and Schock were the only Pioneers with a multi-hit performance in game one of the twinbill.
The Pioneers tacked on another run in the fifth as Stephen Thibault reached on a two-base fielding error from Seahawk 3B,
Anthony Pecora. Austin Markmann singled up-the-middle in scoring Thibault as the Pios led 3-0.
Wagner responded in the bottom half of the sixth with three runs of its own in tying the ballgame. The home team sent up eight men to the plate as Mazzio kicked things off with a single through the left side. Mascelli followed suit with a base hit of his own, the 246th of his career.
Taubl intentionally walked Sabido, which loaded the bases for Cala as he plated home the Seahawks first run on an infield single to short, scoring Mazzio. Capra sent a deep, fly ball to center that was snagged by Brown for the first out, but not before Mascelli touched home plate.
With two outs in the stanza, Pecora reached on a fielding error from Markmann, allowing Sabido to even the ballgame at three apiece. Sacred Heart responded with a pair of singles in the top of the seventh as Isiah Daubon and Jake Frasca put runners on first and third with no outs. Daubon came into score on the delayed double-steal to put SHU ahead by one, 4-3.
Wagner faced that deficit until the bottom of the ninth. Mazzio sent a one-out single to right. Mascelli ripped his third hit of the contest, bringing in Mazzio while the Clifton, NJ native moved to third on the throw.
Following a pair of intentionally walks to both Sabido and Cala to load the bases, freshman
Ben Montenegro was summoned as a pinch-hitter for freshman catcher,
Brandon Hall. After Montenegro struck out, it was up to Silvestrone.
The Manalapan, NJ native fell behind in the count, 1-2, before beating out the infield hit to third as the Seahawks walked off with the one-run victory.
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