Skip To Main Content

Wagner College Athletics

Search

CalebWard
Ross Pirrotta
7
Winner Bryant BRY 24-12-1, 20-4 NEC
5
WAGNER WAGNER 10-23, 7-20 NEC
Winner
Bryant BRY
24-12-1, 20-4 NEC
7
Final
5
WAGNER WAGNER
10-23, 7-20 NEC
Score By Periods
Team 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 R H E
Bryant BRY 1 0 0 0 2 2 0 0 2 7 11 1
WAGNER WAGNER 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 4 5 13 0

W: MORGESE (4-2) L: Beyer, Justin (0-2) S: GOULD (4)

Game Recap: Baseball |

Baseball's Late Rally Falls Just Short In 7-5 Loss To Bryant In Home Finale

Lakewood, NJ – Trailing 7-1 heading into the bottom of the ninth, the Wagner College baseball staged a late rally, plating across four runs in the frame while having the tying and potential winning runs on base but couldn't get that deciding hit as the Bryant Bulldogs held on for 7-5 win on Sunday afternoon at FirstEnergy Park. 
 
The Seahawks fall to 10-23 overall and 7-20 in Northeast Conference (NEC) action while Bryant moves to 24-12-1 on the year and 20-4 in league contests.
 
Wagner starter Justin Beyer (0-2) took the loss after going 5.2 innings, allowing five runs on six hits while walking two and matching his season-high of six strikeouts. Senior reliever Mike Pirrotta worked 2.1 scoreless innings while giving up two hits and striking out two. Classmate Nick LePre pitched the ninth, giving up two runs on three hits. 
 
Mike Ruggiero and Griffin Schneider each had three hits for the Seahawks with Schneider and Caleb Ward driving in two RBI for the Green and White. Tyler Sanfilippo had two hits and walked twice. 
 
Vito Morgese (4-2) earned his fourth win of the season as he lasted six innings, in which he gave up one run on seven hits, issued two walks, and struck out six batters. John MacDonald tossed two scoreless frames before handing it over to Will Treuel. 
 
Wagner was able to get to Truel, as he allowed four runs on four hits before the Bulldogs went to Kevin Gould, who earned his fourth save of the season. 
 
Matt Woods collected a team-high three hits while scoring thrice. Jake Gustin and Liam McGill each had a pair of hits while adding an RBI. Derek Smith went 1 for 4 with two RBI. JP Knight and Brian Nicolas also added an RBI in the win for the Bulldogs. 
 
Woods led off the game with a double to left-centerfield. Beyer went on to retire the next two batters he saw but, Smith was able to send a first-pitch single that plated home Woods for the game's first run. 
 
Wagner tied the game up in their half of the second inning. With one out, Brandon Hall stepped up and connected on his first career home run, sending a towering shot over the right-field wall. 

 
The game remained tied at 1-1 until the top of the fifth, when the visitors broke the stalemate with two runs in the stanza, taking a 3-1 lead. Woods was hit by a pitch from Beyer to reach first. Gustin sent the 0-1 pitch to deep center field, as Woods came into score while Gustin slid into third. 
McGill stepped in and lofted a deep fly to Jared Gillen in center as Gustin was able to tag up from third and cross the plate, giving the Bulldogs a two-run lead. 
 
Bryant tacked on two more runs in the top of the sixth in building a 5-1 advantage. Vincenzo Castronovo reached first after being hit by an errant pitch from Beyer. He moved into scoring position on the sacrifice bunt by Tommy DiTullio.
 
Nicolas stepped up to the plate and connected on the first pitch he saw, sending a single to right field that scored Castronovo to make it 4-1 and close the book on Beyer's afternoon. Pirrotta entered from the bullpen. 
With Woods in the batter's box, Nicolas stole second and scored on RBI single to center by Woods that made it 5-1. Bryant threatened for more but Woods was thrown out trying to steal second by David Melfi. 
 
Wagner had a chance to cut into the lead in the bottom of the sixth. Melfi sent a hot shot to second to reach on the infield single. Schneider found room on the left side, sending a single that gave the Seahawks a pair of runners on base. 
 
The Seahawks elected to send up a pinch-hitter in the form of Quinn Mimnaugh, but he swung over the top as Morgese was able to get the second out. A walk to Sanfilippo loaded the bases for the Seahawks' second pinch-hitter on the inning, DiMaggio Cazares. Cazares sent a grounder up the first baseline as Woods was able to snag the roller and tag the base to end the threat. 
 
Bryant was able to add two more runs on three hits in the top of the ninth, building a 7-1 lead. Woods led off with a single to right-center. McGill singled to center and advanced on the throw as the Bulldogs had runners on the corners with just one out. 
 
Smith flew out to Cazares in left as Woods tagged up from third for the sixth Bryant run of the game. The Bulldogs elected for a pinch-hitter in JP Knight, who doubled down the left-field line that scored McGill, making it 7-1. 
 
An uphill battle heading to the last of the ninth for the Seahawks, but Wagner was up to the task. Sanfilippo led off with a double down the left-field line. Ward was summoned to hit for Cazares, which worked to the home team's advantage. 
 
Ward worked the count full before uncorking his fourth home run of the season, as the Seahawks found themselves trailing by four, 7-3. 

 
Jake Lutz singled to center before moving up to second on a wild pitch from Truel. Ruggiero was able to record his third hit, singling through the left side as Lutz moved to third. Gillen worked a walk to load the bases for Wagner, with the potential tying-run stepping to the plate.
 
Bryant went to their bullpen, bringing in Gould. He struck out Johnny Kampes for the second out. 
 
Schneider got the count in his favor (2-1) and singled to right field, which scored both Lutz and Ruggiero, as the Bulldogs lead shrunk to two, 7-5.

 
Wagner sent up Freddy Sabido to pinch-hit for Emil Matti. Down in the count, 1-2, Sabido rolled over the top of the pitch and grounded it back to Gould, who tossed it over to first for the final out and clinched not only the series but the 2021 NEC regular-season title in the process. 
 
The Seahawks will close out the 2021 season at Sacred Heart, beginning on Thursday, May 20 with a 3:00 p.m. start. Friday and Saturday's contests are scheduled for a 1:00 p.m. start. 
 
 
 
 
Print Friendly Version

dfp

Skip Ad

sponsors

Skip Ad