Box Score / Box Score (PDF) / Matt Morris Postgame Interview

Staten Island, NY - Junior LHP Matt Morris (Matawan, NJ / St. John Vianney) picked up his first career win and Wagner held off a pair of late Saint Peter's rallies en route to a 1-0 victory over Saint Peter's in game one of a doubleheader at Richmond County Bank Ballpark.

With their second-straight win, the Seahawks improve to 6-14 on the year while the Peacocks fall to 7-13.

Wagner dented the scoreboard first with a single run in the bottom of the third inning despite the fact that the ball never left the infield. Sophomore Tommy Mazurkiewicz (Neshanic Station, NJ / Somerville) led off with a single to short. Mazurkiewicz then advanced to second on a Jason Gordon (So., Baltimore, MD / Archbishop Curley) sacrfice bunt, before moving to third on an Ian Miller (Downingtown, PA / Bishop Shanahan) Infield single. Continuing with the small ball theme, Junior Chris Smith plated Mazurkiewicz with a safety squeeze while almost beating the throw to first.

Pitching on a strict pitch count, Morris was outstanding, striking out three while yielding just three hits over 4.0 shutout frames in picking up his first collegiate win.

Reliever Connor Smith (Caldwell, NJ / James Caldwell) took over in the fifth and proceeded to face the minimum over the next two frames before running into trouble in the seventh inning. William Rawson singled with one out, before moving to third on Vincent Maietta's two-out double. After a meeting at the mound, Smith induced James Spadaccini into an inning-ending fly out to right field.

After allowing Wagner's third-inning run, RHP Zack Hopf settled in and faced the minimum nine batter over the next three frames before running into trouble in the bottom part of the seventh. Junior Shaun Flynn (Tabernacle, NJ / Seneca / Burlington CC) got things started with a one out single. Senior Jayson Keel (Starkville, MS / Starkville / Holmes CC) followed with a 10-pitch walk. The pair then moved to second-and-third on a wild pitch, but would unfortunately be stranded there as Hopf buckled down and struck out the next batter, before inducing an inning-ending line out.

Saint Peter's threatened in the top of the eighth as Matt Speckmann drew a leadoff walk. Seahawk closer RHP Anthony Battaglia (So., Staten Island, NY / St. Joseph By The Sea) then entered and following a sacrifice bunt, allowed a single up the middle. On the play, Miller gunned down Speckmann at the plate for the second out of the inning. Battaglia would extinguish the rally by inducing a pop up to Flynn for the final out of the frame.

The Peacocks made one last push in the top of the ninth inning. Matt Mancini led off with a single to left center, before moving to second on a sacrifice bunt. Following a walk, Vincent Maietta hit a grounder to the left side of the infield. Sophomore Nick Dini (Monroe Township, NJ / Monroe Township) fired over to first for the second out of inning. On the play, Mancini attempted to score from second, only to be thrown out by Mazurkiewicz at home for the final out as the Green & White

Flynn went 2-for-3 while Miller was 2-for-4 to lead Wagner's six-hit attack while Mancini paced Saint Peter's with a pair of hits.

Connor Smith, who came on in relief of Morris, extended his scoreless inning streak to 10.0 innings with 3.0 shutout frames while Battagalia fired 2.0 scoreless innings to collect his second save of the season.

Hopf (1-4) was the tough-luck losing pitcher, striking out six while allowing just one run on six hits in a complete game 8.0-inning performance.

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