Box Score 1 |
Box Score 2 BRIDGEPORT, Conn. – The Sacred Heart baseball team battled back in the nightcap to earn a split with Wagner College in a doubleheader at the Ballpark at Harbor Yard on Sunday. The Seahawks (12-19, 4-6) took game one 4-3 on a run in the final inning before the Pioneers (13-25, 6-6) rallied from a four-run deficit to win game two 6-4.
Game One
After a scoreless two innings, Wagner broke the game open with an RBI single from Anthony Godino in the top of the third to jump to the early lead. The Pioneer bats weren't far behind as junior Alex Perry opened the bottom of the frame with a single. He advanced into scoring position on Elijah Brown's sacrifice bunt. Senior Ted Shaw stepped up and roped the full count pitch from Danny Marsh up the middle to tie the ball game. The Pioneers took the 2-1 lead on freshman Austin Markmann's solo home run to lead off the bottom of the fourth inning. Markmann led the Pioneers with two hits in game one.
Both teams continued to trade runs as the Seahawks tied it up in top of the fifth on leadoff man, Sean Mazzio's RBI groundout to shortstop. Sophomore Brent Teller pitched five innings in the no decision, allowing two earned runs on five hits. Wagner looked to take the lead in the top of the sixth as Anthony Pecora smacked a two-out home run to left field. But SHU responded on senior Jake Friar's RBI double down the left field line off Marsh.
The Seahawks would get the go ahead run on the bases loaded sacrifice fly by Phil Capra of graduate student Mike Lembo in the top of the seventh. The Pioneers threatened in the bottom of the seventh as Brown worked his way to third with one out after his leadoff walk. Marsh then picked up a strikeout to Anthony Capozziello and a flyout to Keith Klebart to close out the inning for the complete game.
Game Two
Wagner got off to the early lead in game two as they loaded the bases on three straight two-out walks by senior John Sostarich. Pecora plated the first run of the game with his line drive single to third base. The Seahawks would add three more runs in the top of the third on a two-run home run by Kyle Cala and a RBI triple by Joe Silvestrone.
Wagner starter Chris Mormile held the SHU offense hitless over the first three innings. That would change in the fourth as Brown and freshman Stephen Thibault started the inning with back to back walks. Klebart picked up the first hit of the game for Sacred Heart as he delivered the one-out RBI single to center field. Redshirt junior P.J. DeFilippo followed that up with a RBI single to right field to cut the game to two runs. Markmann then got hit by the first pitch offering to load up the bases. Junior Dan Schock worked a full-count RBI walk to make it a 4-3 ball game. Looking to stop the innings, Wagner made the pitching change but the Pioneers continued to be disciplined at the plate as Perry picked up the RBI walk to tie the game at 4-4.
DeFilippo delivered his 10th double of the season down the left field line with two-outs in the bottom of the fifth to score Capozziello from second, giving SHU the 5-4 lead. Freshman Kevin Czapelski worked a hitless top of the sixth to hold the Seahawks at bay. Schock led off the bottom of the sixth with a triple to right center field. He scored on junior Cody Doyle's double to short right field to put the lead at 6-4. With the tying run reaching first base on a single, Czapelski closed the door with a groundout to third to seal game two.
Six different Pioneers picked up a run scored in the second game. DeFilippo picked up his 10th multi-hit game of the season as he went 2-for-3 on the afternoon to lead SHU. Czapelski pitched four shutout innings in relief to earn his second win of the season.
The Pioneers wrap up their season series against Fairfield on Tuesday, April 25 at 3:30 p.m. at Alumni Diamond.
