Lakewood, NJ - The Wagner College baseball team jumped out to an early 2-0 lead before the Central Connecticut State Blue Devils tied the score in the second and erupted for 11 runs over the third and fourth while withstanding a comeback by the Seahawks, as Wagner dropped the middle game of its three-game series, 14-9, at ShoreTown Ballpark on Saturday afternoon. 

Dante Faicchio and Mike Ruggiero each had multi-hit games for the Seahawks (3-17; 1-1 NEC), with Faicchio going 3 for 5 with 3 RBIs and Ruggiero finishing the day 2 for 3 with two runs scored, two RBIs, and two walks. DiMaggio Cazares also drove in a pair of RBIs while Maimu Kobayashi scored three runs on the day. 

Daniel Merkel took the loss after giving up seven runs (three earned) over 2.1 innings of work. Michael Cunningham went a season-high 3.2 innings, striking out four batters. 

CCSU's (8-5; 1-1 NEC) offense was paced by Elliot Good, who went 3 for 4 with four RBIs. Hunter Pasqualini, Aidan Redahan, and Joe Rios each had two hits with Pasqualini and Redahan adding two RBIs. Vincent Spizzoucco earned the win in relief of Jake Neuman, as he went 3.1 innings, giving up two runs on three hits while walking three and striking out six batters. 

Wagner struck first for the game's first runs in the first. Kobayashi was hit by a pitch. On the first pitch that Ruggiero saw from Neuman, he connected on his team-leading fifth home run of the season as the Green & White went ahead 2-0. The visitors answered back in the second. Sam Loda led off with a double to left-center before Rios drew a two-out walk. On the first pitch Good saw from Merkel, he doubled, which tied the game at 2-2.  
 
The Blue Devils sparked a six-run third inning in building an 8-2 lead. Three straight walks followed by a sacrifice fly to right off the bat of Loda plated the go-ahead run. Mike Torniero reached on an error by Ruggiero at short, which brought home the fourth run of the game for the visitors. A wild pitch scored Noah Martinez that made it 5-2. Redahan drew a walk that concluded Merkel's day. Nick DeCarlo came on and hit the first batter he saw before Good was able to drive in his third RBI of the game, a single to left field, which upped the lead to 6-2. Redahan and Rios would cross the plate on back-to-back wild pitch which made it 8-2 in favor of the defending NEC champions. 

Following a 1:14 rain delay, Cunningham came on and got the final two outs of the frame, as he struck out Pasqualini and Jay DeVito. 

Wagner was able to trim the deficit back to three, 8-5, after scoring thrice on two hits. Quinn Mimnaugh walked and moved into scoring position on a wild pitch. Kobayashi singled, giving Wagner runners on the corners. A walk to Ruggiero loaded the bases before Faicchio grounded into the 5-4-3 double play, but Mimnaugh was able to score. Two straight walks to Mateo Matthews and Griffin Selby moved the order to Cazares, who looped a two-run single to left which made it 8-5. Spizzoucco came on and struck out Xavier Baker to stop the threat. 

CCSU continued to add to its lead, tacking on five more in the top of the fourth in taking a 13-5 advantage. Redahan delivered the first of two, two-run base hits while Good added his fourth RBI of the game. Pasqualini added a two-run single to the left cent that made it an eight-run lead. 

Wagner climbed back in the contest, scoring twice in the bottom of the sixth and eighth which made it 13-9. In the sixth, Baker led off with a single to center while Kobayashi drew a two-out walk. Ruggiero reached on a free pass to load the bases for Faicchio, who sent a two-run single to right field that made it 13-7. In the eighth, Henry Martinez, who pinch-hit for Kobayashi, was hit by a pitch. Ruggiero singled before Faicchio again delivered a run-scoring base hit, as Martinez came in from second. Matthews added an RBI single to right-center, which ended Dylan Benton's afternoon. Tim Buchek came on and walked Lukas Torres on four straight pitches before closing the inning by getting Cazares to fly out to center. 

In the ninth, CCSU added one more score to make it 14-9. Brandon Demma walked both DeVito and Dan Covino. Martinez singled that brought home DeVito but Kobayashi was able to make a strong throw to nail Covino at second. 

The series finale is set for Sunday at 1:00 p.m.