April 14, 2007
Box Score
Staten Island, NY - After scoring five sixth-inning runs to tie the game Wagner (8-19; 3-4 NEC) was handed a tough 6-5 loss in 10 innings by Mount St. Mary's (15-15; 5-2 NEC) in game one of today's doubleheader at Dr. Bill Willetts Field.
Both pitchers cruised through the first four innings. Junior Joe Testa (Brick, NJ / Brick) was on top of his game yielding just two infield-singles and a walk during that time. Mount St. Mary's starter Ivor Hodgson was equally solid giving up just one hit and a walk.
The Mount offense struck first, getting three unearned runs in the fifth. Justus Yocum reached on an error and made it to second on the throw. Following a bunt-hit Drew Counselman singled Yocum home and put runners on first and second. After a sacrifice bunt and a strikeout Eric Smith's two-run double made it 3-0 Mountaineers.
Mount St. Mary's would add two more runs on a two-run single off the bat of Counselman in the sixth.
The Seahawks bats, limited to just one hit in the first five frames, came alive in the sixth. Wagner batted around and tied the game up at 5-5. Junior Peter Delleani (Manalapan, NJ / CBA) got things rolling with his sixth home run of the year, a solo shot to right field. Freshman Vin Avella (Matawan, NJ / CBA) singled the other way off a 0-2 offering and senior Ed Sudol (Wallington, NJ / Wallington) followed with a walk. Senior Matt Mastrianni (Ringoes, NJ / Hunterdon Central) then blasted a three-run home run to deep right-center that brought the Seahawks to within one at 5-4 while chasing Hodgson from the game. Reliever Costa Kapothanasis appeared to be the remedy for the Mount getting the next two hitters, but that wouldn't be the case as sophomore Chris Drechsel (Cranford, NJ / Cranford) hit his second home run of the season over the left-field wall to tie the game up at 5-5.
The Seahawks had a chance to end the game in the eighth as sophomore Mike Maffucci (Nutley, NJ / Nutley) walked and freshman Joe Conforti (Staten Island, NY / Farrell) singled to set up a first and second one-out situation. However Mount relief ace Mike Matta entered and induced an inning-ending double play.
Wagner was back at it in the bottom of the ninth with another first and second one-out situation, but Matta again escaped the jam by inducing a double play.
In the top of the 10th, Smith greeted new Wagner-pitcher sophomore Dave Gerhardt (Worcester, MA / Bancroft) with a home run to left field to give Mount St. Mary's a 6-5 lead in the top of the 10th inning.
Mastrianni singled with two outs in the bottom of the inning but was thrown out trying to steal to end the game.
Testa reached double-digits in strikeouts for the first time this season with 11 over 8.0 innings of work. He gave up five runs, two earned, while scattering nine hits and one walk. Gerhardt took the loss for Wagner, falling to 0-1 on the season.
Matta (2-2) picked up the win, throwing 2.2 scoreless innings of relief.
Mastrianni was 2-5 with three RBI to lead the Seahawks.
