Coppin State at Wagner
NEW HAMBURG, N.Y. (Interstat) — Lukas Torres drove in the game-winning run with a two-out single in the bottom of the ninth inning Saturday, lifting Wagner to a 10-9 victory over Coppin State in a Northeast Conference baseball game at Heritage Financial Park.
Torres, the Seahawks’ center fielder, finished 3-for-6 with three RBIs and a triple. His ninth-inning single through the right side brought home Jayden Alvarez, who had walked and stolen second, capping a back-and-forth contest that saw four lead changes. Wagner improved to 25-21 overall, while Coppin State fell to 9-35.
The Seahawks struck first in the bottom of the first inning. Torres tripled to left-center and scored on a groundout by Nicholas Mazzotta. Wagner extended its lead to 3-0 in the third when Joseph Mennella doubled to right-center, driving in Diego Tavarez and Mazzotta.
Coppin State answered in the top of the fifth. Nelson Grajales walked and scored on a two-run homer to left field by Marcus Sanders, cutting the deficit to 3-2. The Eagles then took the lead in the sixth with four unearned runs after a throwing error by Wagner pitcher Colin Trizuto. Angel Garcia doubled to center for two RBIs, and Terrell Milliner added a run-scoring groundout. A wild pitch brought home another run, putting Coppin State ahead 6-3.
Wagner responded immediately in the bottom of the sixth. Torres singled to right field for two RBIs, scoring Brendan McLoughlin and Evan McRae to make it 6-5. The Seahawks seized the lead in the seventh when McRae doubled up the middle for two more RBIs, plating Dylan Immel and Mennella, giving Wagner a 7-6 advantage.
Coppin State rallied again in the top of the eighth. With the bases loaded and two outs, consecutive wild pitches by Wagner reliever Frankie Nardo scored Pedro Agosto and Grajales, putting the Eagles back on top 8-7. Wagner reclaimed the lead in the bottom of the eighth on a two-run single by Immel that scored Alvarez and Tavarez, making it 9-8.
The Eagles tied the game in the top of the ninth with an unearned run. Emilio Feliciano walked, moved to second on a single by Armando Hurtado, and scored on a throwing error by Wagner shortstop Nicholas Mazzotta. But Wagner’s Keith Davis, who had entered as the pitcher, struck out Angel Garcia looking and got a flyout to end the threat.
In the bottom of the ninth, Alvarez walked, stole second, and scored on Torres’ game-winning single.
Wagner outhit Coppin State 13-4. Mennella went 2-for-4 with two RBIs. McRae and Immel each drove in two runs. Sanders had the only home run for Coppin State, going 1-for-4.
On the mound, Wagner starter Colin Trizuto allowed three hits and two earned runs in five innings, striking out three. Frankie Nardo threw two scoreless innings with two strikeouts, and Davis earned the win with one inning of work, giving up one hit and no earned runs. Coppin State starter Nicco Holland went 4 2/3 innings, surrendering no hits but three earned runs on three walks and a hit batter, striking out three.
The game was the second of a three-game series, following Wagner’s 7-6 win Friday. The teams meet again Sunday.
Interstat’s game simulator had projected a final score of Wagner 7, Coppin State 2. Interstat’s ELO system gave Wagner an 80.90 percent probability to win.