MADISON, N.J. — Wagner swept Friday's doubleheader against Mercyhurst to close out the regular season, honoring six graduating seniors between games.
Wagner walked off game one, taking a 5-4 game to even the series then coming back half an hour later, winning 8-3 to close out the season with seven consecutive series wins.
Game 1
Senior righty Colin Trizuto looked good in his final start of the regular season, throwing a no hitter through three innings and putting the Lakers away in order in each of the first four.
The Wagner offense got going early, loading the bases in the first then scoring a pair on an RBI single from junior Dylan Immel and a sacrifice fly from senior Nicholas Mazzotta. Another sacrifice from Mazzotta pushed Wagner's third run across in the third and the Seahawks kept that 3-0 lead through the fifth, when a pair of singles put runners on for a two-RBI double that landed deep in the right field corner.
Mercyhurst tied the game 3-3 on an RBI fielder's choice play after an error in the seventh, while holding the Seahawks scoreless from the fourth on. Wagner loaded the bases in the eighth with two outs, but left all three runners stranded.
The Lakers then retook the lead in the top of the ninth. Trizuto allowed a pair of singles to lead off the inning, so Wagner called in senior Andrew Rucci. The lefty walked a batter to load the bases then gave up a sacrifice fly to score a run, but he induced an inning-ending double play to keep the Seahawks within one.
Wagner came back in the ninth and led off with a pair of walks for juniors Diego Tavarez and Joseph Mennella, then Immel put down a bunt single that Mercyhurst could not get out of the dirt in time to do anything with. Junior Josiah Ross was pinch running for Mennella, so the Seahawks had the speed on the bases to score its second run quickly.
A strong jump from the Wagner baserunners had them moving on contact for Mazzotta, whose fielder's choice forced a rushed play at second. Tavarez and Ross scored, walking off the game for Wagner's
Game 2
Back roughly 30 minutes later after senior day ceremonies, Wagner got another early lead, putting runners in scoring position after graduate Lukas Torres led off with a walk and sophomore Matt Sutera reached on an error. Both runners moved into scoring position on a passed ball, then Tavarez put a sacrifice fly up to score Torres. Sutera stole third and Immel hit an RBI double to send him home.
Leading 2-0 through the third, Mercyhurst was able to finally do damage in the fourth, leading off with a pair of walks. The Lakers scored first on an error at second, then with one out, a fielder's choice pushed in another. An RBI single had them taking the lead 3-2 before the Seahawks recorded the final two outs.
Wagner was scoreless in the second through the fifth as Mercyhurst starter Andrew Malec did his job, but then Tavarez led off the sixth with a double on the first pitch he saw. That had Mercyhurst going to Noah Ehlers, who struck out his first batter before allowing an RBI double from Immel. Mazzotta grounded out to move him to third, then Wagner took a 4-3 lead on an infield RBI single from Ross.
Torres and Sutera reached again in the seventh, with Torres scoring on an RBI double from Tavarez then both Sutera and Tavarez scored on a two-RBI single from Mennella. That 7-5 Wagner lead had the Lakers going back to the bullpen and Zac Evenson recorded the final two outs, but the damage had been done.
A leadoff single for Ross in the eighth had him moving to third on a single from sophomore Andrew Marquis. Pinch hitter Emmett Coco added an RBI groundout to score Ross. To close things out in the ninth, junior Matthew Moconyi entered to pitch for the first time since his freshman year. He was able to record the final three outs, two runs away from a save opportunity.
Next up, the Seahawks will look to the 2026 NEC Tournament, beginning May 21 at Skylands Stadium in Augusta, New Jersey.
