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Staten Island, NY - Robbie Rinn's one-out RBI single up the middle in the top of the ninth inning lifted Bryant to a 2-1 victory over Wagner and the outright Northeast Conference (NEC) Regular Season Championship at Richmond County Bank Ballpark.

The Bulldogs improve to 37-15-1 and 24-5 in the NEC while the Seahawks fall to 24-28 and 16-12 in the league.

Despite receiving a no-decision junior RHP Ryan Casey (Paramus, NJ / St. Joseph Regional) was outstanding over 8.0 innings, striking out two while yielding just one run on six hits and two walks. Casey's counterpart, reigning NEC Pitcher of the Year Peter Kelich was equally dominant, striking out seven while surrendering one run on four hits and two walks over 7.0 innings in earning a no-decision.

Bryant opened the scoring with a single run in the top of the third, but the damage could have been worse had it not been for Casey. Rinn led off with a single up the middle, before scoring on Jordan Mountford's one-out RBI triple down the right field line. After AJ Zarozny was plunked, Casey coaxed Kevin Brown into a routine fly to center for the second out. Then after loading the bases, Casey escaped further damage by inducing an inning-ending fly out to senior Jayson Keel (Starkville, MS / Starkville / Holmes CC) in left field.

Wagner would tie it up at 1-1 in the bottom of the fourth. Junior Chris Smith (Tampa, FL / Freedom / Ellsworth CC (IA)) tripled to left field with one out, before scoring on sophomore Nick Dini's (Monroe Township, NJ / Monroe Township) sacrifice fly to center field.

Bryant immediately threatened in the top of the fifth, placing a runner on third with one out only to see Casey strike out Zarozny, before inducing an inning-ending fly out to right field.

In the bottom part of the frame, the Seahawks strung together a two-out rally on singles from freshman Ben Ruta (West Windsor, NJ / West-Windsor Plainsboro South) and sophomore Tommy Mazurkiewicz (Neshanic Station, NJ / Somerville). However, Kelich evaded trouble with a strikeout for the final out of the frame.

The Bulldogs then appeared poised to wrestle control of the game, placing runners at second-and-third with no outs in the top of the sixth. Dan Muscatello then lined out to Smith in right field before the Sunshine State native threw a perfect strike to get John Mullen at the plate for the second out. Casey then induced an inning-ending ground out to escape unscathed.

Playing off its momentum in the field, the Green & White loaded the bases in the bottom part of the frame with one out on a Ian Miller (Jr., Downingtown, PA / Bishop Shanahan) single, a Smith walk and a Chase Gray (GS, Toms River, NJ / Toms River South / Seton Hall) hit-by-pitch. Unfortunately, Kelich, like Casey, rose to the occasion in striking out the next batter and getting a fly out to leave the bases loaded.

Wagner again loaded up the bases in the eighth inning, only to be turned away again as Bryant struck for the winning run in the ninth.

Dan Muscatello led off with an infield single, before moving to second on Daniel St. George sacrifice bunt. Muscatello was then plated on Rinn's aforementioned single up the middle.

The Seahawks threatened to tie the game up in the bottom of the ninth as Ruta led off with a walk, before moving to second on a Mazurkiewicz ground out. Unfortunately, Bulldog closer RHP Salvatore Lisanti struck out the next batter, before inducing a game-ending ground out to preserve the win.

LHP Trevor Lacosse (3-0) earned the win thanks to a scoreless inning of work as Lisanti notched his eighth save by keeping the Green & White off the scoreboard in the ninth.

Sophomore RHP Anthony Battaglia (Staten Island, NY / St. Joseph By The Sea) fell to 2-3 in defeat, yielding one run on two hits over an inning of work.

Smith led the Wagner offense, finishing up 2-for-2 with a triple, run and two walks while also throwing a runner out at the plate.

Rinn was 2-for-4 with a run and a RBI while Mountford finished a home run short of the cycle to lead Bryant.

The teams will continue their series tomorrow with a 1:00 pm doubleheader.

NOTES:
* All 13 games that the teams have played have been decided by four runs or less, including six by one run.

* Miller's NCAA-leading 46th stolen base in the sixth was the 113th of the year for the Seahawks, matching the NEC record of 113 set by Fairleigh Dickinson in 1988.

* Dini's fourth-inning sacrifice fly gives him a NEC-leading 44 RBI.

* Casey's 89.1 innings of work are the third-highest single season total in school history.

* Casey now has a 2.60 ERA over 45.0 innings of work at home.

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Photography by Dave Saffran