Philadelphia, PA - The Wagner College baseball team held a 4-2 lead after five innings of play until the bottom of the seventh where the University of Pennsylvania Quakers erupted for five runs in taking the lead and holding off a late comeback by the Seahawks, 10-6, in the first game of a three-game set at Meiklejohn Stadium. 
 
Wagner (2-13) was led by Griffin Selby, who finished the afternoon 2 for 4 with two runs scored and two RBIs. For the Santa Ana, CA native, it marked his first multi-RBI game of the season.
 
Maimu Kobayashi and Dante Faicchio also added two hits with Faicchio, Mateo Matthews, Mike Ruggiero, and Xavier Baker adding an RBI in today's contest. 
 
Starter Frankie Wright went five innings for the second straight start, as he allowed two runs on seven hits while walking one and striking out one but didn't factor into the decision. 
 
Jake Toporek (0-1) was tagged with the loss, after giving up five earned runs on six hits but did finish with a career-best three strikeouts. Michael Cunningham pitched an inning of relief, giving up three runs on five hits. 
 
Penn's first four hitters of Tommy Courtney, Wyatt Henseler, Jackson Appeal, and Ben Miller combined to go 12 of 16 at the plate this afternoon, with Appeal leading the way with four hits in five chances. Miller drove in four RBIs while Seth Werchan added a pair of RBIs. 
 
Kevin Eaise earned the start and went six innings, in which he allowed four runs on six hits with one walk and a game-high nine strikeouts. Like Wright, he didn't factor into the decision. 
 
Edward Sarti (2-0) earned the win, going 1.2 innings while giving up two runs on three hits, walking three, and striking out four batters. Brendan Bean earned his third save of the season and threw the final two-thirds of an inning in which he struck out two and walked one. 
 
Both teams went scoreless after the first inning before Wagner opened the scoring in the second, taking a 1-0 lead. Down in the count (0-1), Selby connected on his first home run in a Seahawk uniform down the left-field line to give the visitors the early advantage. 
 

Top 2 | Wagner 1, Penn 0

Griffin Selby connects on his first home run as a Seahawk as we get on the board first!#Different x #DYJ x #necbase pic.twitter.com/6cGqkyHXBu

— Wagner Baseball (@WagBaseball) March 18, 2022

 
The Quakers responded in the bottom of the third to tie the game at 1-1. With one out, Courtney singled to right, and Henseler was hit by a pitch. Appeal sent a single to right on a 2-2 pitch that scored Courtney but Henseler was thrown out by Faicchio trying to move to third. 
 
The Seahawks went up by two, 3-1, in the top of the fourth. Faicchio singled to right-center to lead off the inning and promptly stole second. Matthews ripped a single to centerfield that scored Faicchio to break the tie. Ruggiero would then send a hard-hit triple to left field, bringing in Matthews for the two-run lead. 
 

Top 4 | Wagner 3, Penn 1

Seahawks with two thus far in the frame.

Mateo Matthews with an RBI single and Mike Ruggiero brings him home on the run scoring triple to left. #Different x #DYJ x #necbase pic.twitter.com/GP8EXCHQmq

— Wagner Baseball (@WagBaseball) March 18, 2022

 
The Green & White tacked on an additional score in the top of the fifth, going up 4-1. Faicchio, on the first pitch from Eaise, singled to centerfield that scored Kobayashi, who reached on a one-out single to right field. 
 
Penn closed the gap, 4-2, as Miller lofted a deep fly to leftfield, as Henseler, who reached on a single to left, tagged up and scored. Wright was able to get out of the inning as Craig Larsen fouled out to Matthews at first. 
 
The score remained the same until the bottom of the seventh, as the Quakers erupted for five runs in taking a 7-4 lead. Three straight singles loaded the bases for Miller, who cleared them with a double to left-centerfield. 
 
Toporek was able to strikeout Larsen on three pitches, but, fell behind in the count to Werchan, who homered down the right-field line that made it 7-4. 
 
Wagner trimmed the deficit to 7-5 in the top of the eight. Selby sent a one-out double to right-center before Baker singled to left field that plated home Selby. 
 

Top 8 | Wagner 5, Penn 7

Xavier Baker with a single to left and moves up on the throw as Griffin Selby scores from second as Wagner chips into the Quakers' lead.#Different x #DYJ x #necbase pic.twitter.com/B9fbPdyNzl

— Wagner Baseball (@WagBaseball) March 18, 2022

 
Pennsylvania added three scores in the bottom of the inning in taking a 10-5 lead. Henseler flew out to Kobayashi in center, allowing Asa Wilson to score. Appeal singled and Miller doubled, which gave the Quakers runners in scoring position before a passed ball brought in Appeal. 
 
Larsen drove in Miller on an RBI single to left field that made it 10-5 in favor of the home team. 
 
The Seahawks kept fighting back, as Kobayashi led off the ninth with a single to centerfield. Henry Martinez came on as a pinch-runner for Kobayashi. With one out, Faicchio and Matthews both walked to load the bases for the visitors. 
 
Pennsylvania went to the bullpen and brought on Bean. Selby was the first batter to greet him, and drew a four-pitch walk that scored Martinez to narrow the gap to 10-6. 
 
Bean was able to settle in and retired both Ruggiero and Baker via strikeouts to take game one of the series. 
 
The two teams are scheduled to play tomorrow afternoon, with first pitch scheduled for 2:00 p.m.