Wappingers Falls, NY — Wagner stays alive and the fourth-seeded Skyhawks are heading home after the Seahawks took a 6-4 win in a must-win matchup on Saturday morning. Wagner advances to play again at 7 p.m. EST tonight.
After dropping the opener to No. 3 CCSU, the Seahawks had to win to keep playing and did so in the early game of the day despite a late push from the Skyhawks.
The Seahawks strung hits together more consistently on Saturday, with the top three hitters in the lineup accounting for four of seven total hits. Graduate Lukas Torres was 1-of-3 with a run scored, an RBI and a walk. Junior Nicholas Mazzotta had the same line, with three-hitter Diego Tavarez going 2-of-4 with a run scored and an RBI.
Wagner took a 1-0 lead in the third on an RBI triple from Mazzotta that scored Torres, then a sacrifice fly from Torres scored sophomore Connor Roche in the fourth to make it 2-9. Senior Bryce Phelps was 1-of-3 with a run scored and a walk. Graduate Xavier Ulrich was 1-of-3 with an RBI, an RBI double in the fifth to make it a 3-0 Wagner lead.
Wagner added a fourth on a sacrifice fly from Roche, then Stonehill came alive with a three-spot in the top of the sixth.
Junior Colin Trizuto earned his fourth win of the season with a 5.2-inning performance where he allowed those three runs in the sixth and struck out four. Sophomore Keith Davis entered in relief with two outs in the sixth, going 2.1 innings allowing just one run through ten batters faced.
In the sixth, freshman Matt Sutera led off with a walk and advanced on a sacrifice from Torres, then Mazzotta was hit by a pitch to put two runners on. Tavarez doubles to score Sutera, then Mazzotta scored from third on a wild pitch to make it a 6-3 Wagner lead. The Skyhawks added a single run in the eighth, but that was all the life they had left.
Junior Jason Masick earned his sixth save of the season with a single inning of scoreless work. He walked two but recorded the final out via strikeout to secure the win.
Next up, Wagner will face the winner of the middle game on Saturday, either No. 1 LIU or No. 3 CCSU, in a 7 p.m. EST elimination game that will send its winner to the championship.
