Andover, MA – The Wagner baseball team held late leads in each game of Sunday's doubleheader but ultimately came up short at Merrimack, 2-1 and 3-2, to conclude the three-game series against the Warriors.
The Seahawks fall to 6-14 overall on the season and 4-11 in Northeast Conference (NEC) play while the Warriors move to 12-14 and 8-7 in league play.
Starting pitchers
Nick Zuppe and
Mike Pirrotta didn't allow a run in their outings. Zuppe started game one, striking out four batters in 4.2 scoreless innings while Pirrotta went three innings, giving up one hit and striking out one.
Game 1 Recap: Wagner 1, Merrimack 2
Wagner struck first as Caleb Ward led off the game with a home run to left-center, giving the visitors a 1-0 lead.
Zuppe started the game off by striking out the side in the first. He worked around a pair of one-out singles in the second to keep the Warriors off the board.
Merrimack threatened in their half of the fifth. Joey Porricelli drew a one-out walk but was thrown out at second by David Melfi trying to steal the base. Alex Haba worked a nine-pitch walk that concluded Zuppe's afternoon as Wiseman came on in relief.
Haba stole second and moved to third on the throwing error by Melfi but Wiseman struck out Nick Shumski to leave the potential tying run at third.
The Seahawks looked poised to tack on an insurance run in the sixth. Jared Gillen sent a one-out single to third and stole second. Tyler Sanfilippo walked and both runners moved up on the double steal. Melfi sent a grounder to third as Merrimack's third baseman charged in and fired a strike to plate to nab Gillen. Sabido followed with a fly out to end the inning.
Wiseman was in complete command on the mound, fanning five of the next six batters between the sixth and seventh innings, as he struck out the side swinging in the seventh.
The Warriors got the tying and what turned out to be the winning runs in the bottom of the eighth inning. Porricelli led off with a walk and promptly stole second. Haba sent a single through the left side as Porricelli came around to score the tying run to even the contest at 1-1. Wiseman settled down and retired the next two hitters before Stadnicki singled through the right side as Haba crossed the plate as the go-ahead tally as the Warriors went ahead, 2-1.
In the ninth, Thibault induced three ground balls to end the ballgame.
Cody Bey had two hits for the visitors while Ward had the lone RBI on the home run, going 1 for 4. Jared Gillen also had a hit for the Seahawks. Wiseman was tagged with the loss after throwing 3.1 innings of relief, striking out six batters, giving up the two runs on two hits.
Stadnicki had three hits, which included the go-ahead RBI, in four plate appearances. Joyce finished 2 for 3 while Haba and Jamele each had a hit in the win for Merrimack. Thibault earned the win after firing off three scoreless innings in relief of Soreneson, who went six and struck out nine Seahawks.
Game 2 Recap: Wagner 2, Merrimack 3
The two teams traded zeroes over the first four innings until the Seahawks broke the scoreless stalemate in the top of the fifth.
Johnny Kampes led off with a single to left field. Valdez worked a seven-pitch walk before Ward was plunked by an pitch to load the bases.
Bey sent a grounder to short as Shumski was able to step on the bag and fire on over to Joyce at first to complete the double play. On the play, though, Kampes was able cross the plate for the game's first run.
The next batter, Gillen, ripped a single to left field that plated home Valdez as the visitor claimed a 2-0 lead.
John LaPointe retired the side in order in Merrimack's half of the fifth.
The Warriors cut the Seahawks lead in half in the bottom of the sixth. LaPointe was able to get Haba and Shumski to fly out to Schneider in right. Bryant Skurbe connected on a solo home run on the first pitch he saw from LaPointe.
Merrimack continued to build momentum as Joyce walked and Crowely doubled down the left field line. Wagner went to the bullpen as
Nicholas Hanson came in for LaPointe. Hanson was able to get Michael Golankiewicz to fly out to right, ending the threat.
Wagner was able to keep Merrimack off the scoreboard in the seventh. Jake Macchi led off the frame with a walk and moved into scoring position on a sacrifice bunt by Michael Jamele. Porricelli singled to center that loaded the bases as the Seahawks made the call to the bullpen.
Justin Beyer came on in relief of Hanson. Beyer was able to get Haba to ground into inning-ending double play, as Wagner held on to the one run advantage.
The Green & White couldn't push across an insurance run in their half of the ninth. Beyer retuned to the hill in the bottom half of the stanza. He issued a four-pitch walk to Crowley before Golankiewicz singled to left, as the Warriors had the first two men on.
Macchi sent a single through the left side, which loaded the bases for the home team. Beyer settled on the rubber and struck out Jamele on three pitches for the first out.
With the count at 2-2, Porricelli sent a hard-hit ball down the left field line as Crowley scored the tying run before Golankiewicz crossed the plate for the winning tally.
The Seahawks will head to Fairleigh Dickinson on Tuesday for the team's first midweek contest of the season. First-pitch from the Naimoli Family Baseball Complex is set for 3:00 p.m. and will be streamed on NEC Front Row.
