March 20, 2013

6 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 R H E Lafayette 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 2 3 Wagner 0 0 0 4 0 0 2 0 x 6 7 2 Box Score (HTML) | Box Score (PDF) 0

STATEN ISLAND, N.Y. - Wagner limited Lafayette to five hits and rode a four-run fourth inning to a 6-0 win on Wednesday afternoon at Richmond County Bank Ballpark. The loss drops the Leopards to 2-14, while Wagner moves to 3-13.

Leadoff man Andrew Santomauro opened the game by lacing a triple to right center field off Wagner starter Connor Smith. Smith then worked his way out of trouble for the Seahawks, getting the next three Lafayette hitters to strand Santomauro at third.

Smith picked up where he left off in the top of the first and mowed down the next 10 Lafayette hitters prior to a Scott Kelleher base knock in the top of the fifth. The right-hander worked around the one-out single with a pair of flyouts to center field and allowed one more hit in the game, a single to Thomas Dunleavy, firing seven scoreless innings, while striking out six and walking none.

Miller's bunt single to third gave the Seahawks a run in the third inning off Lafayette lefty Toby Schwartz, who started on the hill and logged three innings. The RBI hit followed a pair of base hits surrounding a sacrifice bunt to set up the first-and-third situation for Miller. Schwartz then got Chris Smith to lineout to Santomauro in center for the second out of the inning, before an error by Kevin Casey at second allowed two runs to score on the play and an infield single plated another as Wagner held a 4-0 lead after three frames. Schwartz surrendered five hits and four runs (one earned) and struck out one.

The deficit remained 4-0 through the sixth thanks to two shutout innings by Mitch Leeds and a scoreless frame by Robert Tatum out of the bullpen. Neither reliever surrendered a hit, and Leeds fanned two of the six batters he faced.

Wagner tacked on a pair of unearned runs against freshman Ari Kaufman to extend its cushion to 6-0 at the end of seven.

Paul Mammino survived a two-out rally attempt by Lafayette in the eighth after singles by Santomauro and Dunleavy and held on for the eventual 6-0 victory. Casey pitched a perfect bottom of the eighth with two strikeouts before Anthony Battaglia closed the door for Wagner in the ninth.

Lafayette hosts Penn in a doubleheader on Saturday for its home opener at Kamine Stadium. First pitch is set for Noon.