NEW BRITAIN, Conn. — It was a Wagner lineup that refused to die on Saturday when the Seahawks took a 16-13 win over reigning NEC champion CCSU to take the series over the Blue Devils in ten innings.
It was a game CCSU tried to lock down early, leading 12-2 after the third, but Wagner kept the bats hot. The Seahawks scored in the fourth, fifth and sixth while allowing the Blue Devils to score just one run in the fourth that would ultimately be their last run scored.
The Seahawks finished with 16 runs scored on 16 hits, batting in 15 runs and working three walks while striking out just six times. CCSU logged 15 hits but left 14 runners stranded.
Wagner scored six runs in that fifth inning, a massive output to bring the team within two, trailing 13-11. That inning swung the momentum, with sophomore Frankie Nardo entering to pitch and holding CCSU off the board for the first time all game.
Freshman Brendan McLoughlin led the way with a 3-for-4 day where he batted in three runs and scored a pair. Seven of the eight Wagner hitters to record a hit put up a multi-hit performance — the eighth was sophomore Andrew Marquis, who was 1-for-1 in his lone plate appearance.
Junior Joseph Mennella got things going early, sending a two-run home run to centerfield in the first for Wagner's first runs of the game. Trailing CCSU 12-2 heading into the fourth, the Seahawks put another ball over the fence when McLoughlin hit his first career home run to score a pair. Junior Jackson Blakley, who scored on the homer, had reached after being hit by a pitch.
Junior Christopher Collina threw the fourth for Wagner, allowing just one run to score on an RBI double that kept the Blue Devils from putting up what could have been a fourth consecutive four-run inning.
In the bottom of the fifth, Wagner came alive. With one out, senior Nicholas Mazzotta doubled on the first pitch of his at-bat, then junior Dylan Immel was hit by a pitch and Mennella walked. With the bases loaded, sophomore Matt Sutera hit a two-RBI single to score Mazzotta and Immel, forcing the Blue Devils to make a pitching change. New to the came, Bryce DiPiero was able to retire redshirt junior Evan McRae to get to two outs, but then three consecutive singles from Blakley, McLoughlin and sophomore Jayden Alvarez scored three runs and forced CCSU to go back to its bullpen.
Entering to pitch, Niko Christon had to face graduate Lukas Torres, who had led off the fifth. He added the sixth hit of the inning, which scored the sixth run before Christon was able to get the third out. Wagner trailed by three heading to the middle of the frame.
Immel scored Wagner's run in the sixth after reaching on an error from the CCSU third baseman where he was unable to get a handle on a soft-hit ball that slipped by to just escape the infield. A single from Mennella pushed Immel over, then a sacrifice fly from Sutera sent him home.
Nardo faced the minimum in the sixth then struck out his leadoff batter in the seventh. A walk to Gianno Merlonghi ended the day for Nardo, then junior Keith Davis took over and induced a fielder's choice and groundout to end the seventh. Wagner went down in order in the eighth, then Davis issued a leadoff walk in the eighth before sitting down three consecutive Blue Devils.
After a scoreless seventh and eighth then a strikeout to McRae to start the ninth, it seemed like Wagner might not have the offense to overcome the deficit, but the bottom of the order continued to swing the bat. Blakley singled through the left side, then McLoughlin singled to the right side and was pinch ran for by junior Leo Doyle. A groundout to Alvarez pushed both runners over and an intentional walk to Torres loaded the bases. Senior Nicholas Mazzotta, up to the plate with two outs, put a two-RBI single into centerfield to score Blakley and Doyle, tying the game at 13.
Davis got out of the ninth unscathed, recording a pair of strikeouts to end the inning and send the game to extras.
In the tenth, Sutera kicked things off with a one-out double, then McRae pushed him to third. Blakley reached first on an error by the CCSU second baseman that saw him lose a ball in shallow right field, allowing Sutera to score and take the lead. A single from sophomore Andrew Marquis, who entered to catch in the ninth moved Blakley over to third, then Alvarez pushed both runners in on a two-RBI double.
Wagner led 16-13 heading to the bottom of the frame, when Mazzotta moved from shortstop to pitcher. He ran into traffic early, walking his first two batters then loading the bases after hitting his third. The senior did not give in to the pressure, though, striking out a pair of Blue Devils before inducing a foul out to end the game. Mazzotta earned his second save of the season with the outing.
Next up, the Seahawks will forego a midweek contest, hosting Norfolk State for a weekend series beginning Friday, April 10.
