Staten Island, NY - The Wagner baseball team swept LIU in Friday's doubleheader, securing a first round bye in the Northeast Conference (NEC) tournament in the process. The Green & White conclude the regular season with a 30-22 overall record and 21-9 record in conference.
A 6-1 victory in game one earned the Seahawks the bye for the tournament. In game two, the Seahawks rallied to score five unanswered runs and win their fourth straight conference series.
In the opening matchup it was sophomore Frankie Wright who willed Wagner to victory.
Wright matched a career-high and surpassed his season-high of innings pitched with 7.2 shutout innings. The Egg Harbor Township, NJ native struck out four batters and limited the Sharks to just three hits.
All of his run support came in a three-inning span as the Seahawks garnered 11 hits from the fourth to sixth inning.
Senior Cody Bey and sophomore Mateo Matthews provided runs in the fourth inning and seniors DiMaggio Cazares and Dante Faicchio added support in the fifth. Junior Chris Conniff then punctuated the stretch with a two-run home run to right center.
With a first round bye in the NEC Tournament locked up, Wagner went into game two looking to sweep the doubleheader. LIU took a 4-0 lead into fifth inning, but the Seahawks began to chip away thereafter.
Faicchio singled in Bey to make it a three-run game before senior David Melfi cut the deficit to one run on a blast to left center an inning later.
The seventh inning came and went without any damage inflicted, but the Seahawks were able to tie it up and eventually take the lead during their next time up to bat.
Cazares recorded an infield single to tie the ball game up at four. Then, a perfectly placed bunt from Bey scored Melfi to give Wagner its first lead of the rubber match.
Junior Nicholas Hanson was tasked with preserving the 5-4 lead and he delivered, earning the win with 5.2 no-hit innings in relief.
Wagner will next take the field on Thursday, May 25 in Wappingers Falls, NY during day two of the NEC Tournament. Its opponent is to be determined.
