Staten Island, NY — It was a well-rounded performance that put Wagner ahead of Stonehill 8-2 to win the series opener.
In the fourth Northeast Conference series of the season, the Seahawks put up big numbers on offense and matched that effort with efficient pitching.
Starting senior Jake Toporek was a major credit for the game's result, throwing 97 pitched in a 7.0 inning outing where he allowed just one hit. Protecting the bullpen after Wagner played two midweek games, Toporek going that distance meant the Seahawks only needed to use three arms. He is now 3-0 this season in 40.0 innings pitched.
After Toporek, junior A.J. Hiestand entered the game and threw one inning, giving up Stonehill's final run of the game. Sophomore lefty Keith Davis entered the game in the ninth and retired the three batters he faced to secure the win.
Giving up just two runs was big, then the offense matched that an put up eight runs on 15 hits. The Seahawks took a 2-1 lead in the bottom of the third and held it through the sixth, exploding for six runs in the bottom of the sixth to take a much more comfortable lead.
Wagner got on the board in the second when graduate senior Xavier Ulrich grounded into a double play that managed to score sophomore Connor Roche who had been sitting on third. Adding runs in back-to-back innings, Wagner added its second run on an RBI single from senior Bryce Phelps that scored sophomore Diego Tavarez from third.
In the sixth, the hitters came alive. Sophomore Joseph Mennella led off the inning with a double, starting a string of four-straight hits for the Seahawks.
Four hits, a walk and two stolen bases to open the inning chased Stonehill's Ryan Douglas from the game after recording just one out, but that did not stop the offense. After Max Brulport entered in relief, he was pulled after giving up three consecutive hits that scored three more runs.
Anthony Michaud was the third pitcher of the inning and struck out two to stop the bleeding, but the Seahawks had put up six runs on seven hits and sent 11 hitters to the plate.
With 15 total hits, each of Wagner's starters logged a hit, with five hitters posting a multi-hit game. Junior Nicholas Mazzotta led the team with three hits, then Mennella, Phelps, Roche and freshman Matt Sutera added two apiece. Tavarez and Sutera each accounted for two RBIs.
The Seahawks and Skyhawks return to SIUH Community Park for game two of the series on Saturday, March 29 for a 1 p.m. EST first pitch.
