Lakewood, NJ - The Wagner baseball team trailed Merrimack 4-0 heading into the fifth inning before the Seahawks' bats came alive to plate five runs in the bottom half of the inning in taking a one-run lead. The Green & White couldn't hang on to the advantage, as the Warriors erupted for five runs of their own in posting a 9-5 come-from-behind victory. 
 
Griffin Selby led Wagner (12-28; 8-9 NEC) with two hits while he and Mike Ruggiero each drove in two RBIs. Dante Faicchio, who went 1 for 4, also was credited with an RBI. 
 
Eli Shedd took the mound for his third start of the season, allowing four runs on four hits in 3.1 innings in which he walked three and matched his career-high with four strikeouts. Eric Crouse (2-3) was tagged with the loss, giving up four runs on four hits in 4.1 innings while walking two and striking out three. 
 
John LaPointe pitched to one batter before Nick LePre came on for the final 1.1 innings, not allowing a run while giving up three hits. 
 
Jake Macchi powered Merrimack's (11-26; 6-11 NEC) offense, going 4 for 5 and accounting for five of the team's nine RBIs. Scott Elliott was the other Warriors hitter to have a multi-hit game, going 2 for 3, with three runs scored. Kurtis Stadnicki added two RBIs while Bryadon Dolbashian and Ben Nelson had an RBI. 
 
Starter Tyhge Healy went 4.2 innings, giving up four runs on five hits while striking out four but didn't factor into the decision. Justin Butera went 1.1 frames, giving up a run on two hits before giving way to Jack Collins, who picked up his first win of the season, not allowing a run in his inning of work. Timmy Kalantzakos pitched two scoreless innings, striking out two and walking one. 
 
Merrimack struck first in the opening inning. Alex Haba led off the game with a single to center before advancing to second on a failed pickoff attempt by Shedd, as Haba reached third. A hit by pitch to Elliott gave the Warriors runners on the corner with no outs before Macchi roped an RBI single to center for the game's first run. 
 
Following a scoreless second inning, the visitors upped their lead to 3-0. Elliott singled to second and moved to second on an overthrow by Cody Bey. Macchi, down in the count 0-2, doubled to left, bringing in Elliott as Merrimack went ahead 2-0. 
 
Bryant Skurbe and Thomas Crowley walked to load the bases before Stadnicki drew a five-pitch free pass, plating home the third run of the game for Merrimack. The Warriors went on to add a run in the top of the fourth, as Macchi plated home his third RBI of the game, sending an RBI single to center to bring home Haba. 
 
Wagner scored five runs with two outs in the bottom of the fifth to take a 5-4 lead. Mimnaugh singled to left to start the rally before Shane Harkins was hit by a pitch. Both runners moved up on a wild pitch before Maimu Kobayashi drew a walk. 
 
Ruggiero had the count in his favor (3-1) before sending an opposite-field, two-run single to right, bringing in both Mimnaugh and Harkins and cutting the lead to 4-2, which ended Healy's day. 
 
Butera came on and the first batter he saw, Faicchio, singled as Kobayashi came around to score. Faicchio was able to move into scoring position after stealing second before Selby sent a hard-hit single to right, bringing in both Ruggiero and Faicchio as Wagner took the one-run lead. 
 
The game remained in favor of the Seahawks until the eighth. Christian Gemelli drew a pinch-hit walk to start the frame. Crowley moved him over to second on a sacrifice bunt before Stadnicki connected on a first-pitch double to left-center, which tied the game at 5-5. 
 
With two outs, Ben Nelson singled to center that brought in Stadnicki as Merrimack regained the lead, 6-5. A walk to Haba ended Crouse's day as LaPointe came on to face Elliott, but issued a walk, which led the Seahawks to go to the bullpen in bringing in LePre. 
 
Macchi was the first batter that the Staten Island right-hander faced and got ahead 1-2 before Macchio singled to left field, scoring two, as Merrimack upped the lead to 8-5. The next batter, Dolbashian, singled to right to bring in Elliott capping the five-run stanza. 
 
Kalantzakos came on to start the bottom of the eighth and needed just six pitches to close the inning before getting the first two of Lukas Torres and Mimnaugh in the ninth. David Melfi drew a walk but was stranded as Harkins struck out to end the contest. 
 
The series finale is set for tomorrow at 1:00 p.m.