AUGUSTA, N.J. — No. 3 Wagner fell in the opening round of the NEC Tournament to No. 2 FDU in a 7-5 loss.
The Seahawks outhit the Knights, finishing with seven to FDU's six, but could not scratch the runs across to match the output. Junior Joseph Mennella was the life of the Wagner offense, going 1-for-2 with a pair of walks and a two-run home run in the eighth.
Redshirt sophomore Joseph Steventon took the loss on the mound despite a steady outing, allowing the red-hot FDU to score four runs while he walked just three.
FDU jumped out to a 3-0 lead, scoring two in the second and one in the third before Wagner answered in the fifth. A leadoff double from senior Nicholas Mazzotta put him in scoring position for freshman Brendan McLoughlin, whose RBI single sent Mazzotta home. Sophomore Jayden Alvarez was hit by a pitch to move McLoughlin over, then a fielder's choice opportunity from graduate Lukas Torres that saw McLoughlin scoring from third.
An RBI single from junior Dylan Immel scored junior Diego Tavarez in the sixth to tie the game at 3-3, but a four-run seventh had FDU chasing reliever Keith Davis from the game before he could record an out. Redshirt junior Braden Lowe entered to record the final six outs, striking out three but Wagner's two-run eighth did not generate enough offense to complete the comeback.
Immel and Mazzotta each finished at 2-for-4, the only Seahawks to finish with multiple hits.
Next up, the Seahawks return to Skylands Stadium for the earliest of Saturday's games. Wagner will take on No. 4 Le Moyne in a noon EDT game. The winner will advance to take on the winner of a 4 p.m. EDT matchup between No. 1 LIU and No. 2 FDU, with that game now set for 8 p.m. EDT after the NEC announced it would move up from its scheduled time on Saturday due to inclement weather in the forecast.
