Game 1: Quinnipiac 13, Wagner 6
Lakewood, NJ – The Quinnipiac University baseball team scored early and often on Saturday afternoon in the first game of the 2005 Northeast Conference baseball tournament. The Bobcats scored 10 runs in the first three innings and cruised to a 13-6 victory over the Seahawks.
Quinnipiac (24-19) advances to Sunday’s first contest beginning at noon against the winner of the Sacred Heart-Monmouth game. Wagner (22-26) will play the loser of the Sacred Heart-Monmouth game tonight at 7 p.m.
The Bobcats scored four times in their first at-bat to provide plenty of support for junior right-hander Patrick Egan (Rocky Hill, Conn./Rocky Hill). John Delaney (Hanson, Mass./Xavierian) led off with a walk and moved to third after Tim Binkoski (North Haven, Conn./North Haven) reached on an error. Bryan Sabatella (Wading River, N.Y./Shoreham Wading River) then singled through the left side to plate the first Quinnipiac run.
After an infield single by Brien Magee (Stamford, Conn./Trinity Catholic) loaded the bases, shortstop Wilson Matos (Larchmont, N.Y./Mamoraneck) chopped a ball through the left side to score two runs. Catcher Kevin MacIlvane (Windsor, Conn./East Catholic) singled to reload the bases and Randy Gress (Shelton, Conn./Notre Dame) drove in a run with a fielders’ choice.
Quinnipiac tacked on three more runs in the second and third innings to stake Egan to a 10-0 lead. Ryan Rizzo (East Northport, N.Y./Commack) doubled with one out. Binkoski reached on an error and Sabatella was hit by a pitch to load the bases. Magee unloaded them with a three-run double down the right field line for a 7-0 advantage.
In the third, Ricky Coppola (Orange, Conn./Amity) singled with one out. Delaney was hit by a pitch and Rizzo beat out an infield single to load the bases. Binkoski knocked on a run with a groundout and Sabatella followed with a two-run single through the right side to make it 10-0.
Wagner struck for a run off Egan in the fourth. Joseph Malfettano (Toms River, N.J./Toms River North) advanced to second base on a throwing error by Egan. A groundout by Troy Sogluizzo (Staten Island, N.Y./Curtis) moved the runner up 90 feet before Matt Mastrianni (Ringoes, N.J./Hunterdon Central) delivered a sacrifice fly.
The Sehawks scored another run in the fifth. Kane Furst (East Stroudsburg, Pa./East Stroudsburg) singled with one out but was forced on a fielders choice by Gene Ronkiewicz (Hawthorne, N.J./Hawthorne). Ronkiewicz stole second and scored when Jared Williams (Washington, D.C./DeMatha) reached on an error.
Wagner cut into the Quinnipiac lead with four runs in the top of the sixth, moving to within 10-6. Malfettano walked to open the frame and Sogluizzo followed with a single through the right side. Another walk to Mastrianni loaded the bases and a single by Ed Sudol (Wallington, N.J./Wallington) scored two runs. A groundout by Sean Ferfuson (Sussex, N.J./Sussex C.C.) scored another run and Ronkiewicz capped the scoring with a sacrifice fly.
The Bobcats answered with two runs in the bottom of the sixth. MacIlvane blasted a solo home run to left field to make it 11-6. Coppola and Delaney banged out doubles to push the Quinnipiac lead to six runs at 12-6.
Quinnipiac tacked on one more run in the eighth with a RBI single by Sabatella.
Egan fanned eight and allowed four earned runs and six hits in a complete-game effort and improved to 7-4 on the season.
The Bobcats 1-through-5 hitters pounded out 12 hits on the day. Sabatella (3-for-5, four RBI) moved into the NEC lead in RBI. Rizzo also added three hits and two runs scored. Delaney, Binkoski, Magee and Coppola also had two hits.
Sudol paced Wagner with two hits and two RBI.
Game 2: Sacred Heart 3, Monmouth 0
Lakewood, NJ -- Sacred Heart University sophomore pitcher Jay Monti (Marlboro, NY/Marlboro) scattered eight Monmouth University hits to lead the second-seeded Pioneers to a 3-0 win over the #3 Hawks in the first round of the 2005 Northeast Conference Baseball Tournament Saturday afternoon.
Monmouth starting hurler Matt Marc-Aurele (Wayne, NJ/Wayne Valley) got himself in trouble in the fourth inning. After giving up a leadoff single to SHU center fielder Tony Diaz (Middletown, NY/Middletown), he made an errant pickoff throw to first, allowing Diaz to advance to second. His next pitch went low and between the legs of catcher Mike Hussa (Denville, NJ/Seton Hall Prep) for a passed ball and Diaz moved to third. Josh Enos (Paulsboro, NJ/Paulsboro) followed with an RBI single up the middle to give the Pioneers a 1-0 lead.
Monti, the NEC Pitcher of the Year, blanked Monmouth through the first six innings, but had to dance around seven Hawks hits, including a first and third situation in the third inning. He also got some help with a double-play grounder on a tough chopper to second base in the top of the fifth. He allowed the Monmouth leadoff hitters to reach on singles in both the second and sixth innings, but retired the next three batters in order in both innings.
The Pioneers, now 20-31, got a couple of insurance runs in the bottom of the seventh. Senior second baseman Curtis Lewsey (Greenwich, NY/Greenwich) was hit by a pitch to lead off the inning, and Enos bunted him to second base. Senior catcher Chris Vartuli (Norwalk, CT/Brien McMahon) ripped a double over the head of the Monmouth left fielder to score Lewsey and give the Pioneers a 2-0 lead. After Marc-Aurele struck out SHU’s Dan Garcia, Pioneer third baseman Pete Kandybowicz (Massapequa, NY/Massapequa) singled to left. Vartuli was waved home around third and slide around the tag attempt by Hussa to give the Pioneers a 3-0 lead.
The Hawks, now 27-23, got a single by Hussa with one out in the eighth and then Monti hit Fran Rotella (Secaucus, NJ/St. Peter’s) with two outs to put two on. Monti got out of trouble by getting Andrew Meyers (Stratford, NJ/Sterling) to fly to center. He retired Monmouth in order in the ninth to push his record to 8-5.
Monti, who threw 123 pitches, finished the game with six strikeouts without issuing a walk. Marc-Aurele fell to 3-2 with the loss. He struck out four in the game, also without walking a Pioneer batter.
The Pioneers will face top-seed Quinnipiac University in the winner’s bracket game at noon on Sunday. Monmouth advances to take on Wagner, which lost a 13-6 decision to the Bobcats in the opening game, in the loser’s bracket game at 6:30 p.m. tonight.
Game 3: Monmouth 8, Wagner 4
Lakewood, NJ - The No. 3 seed Monmouth University Hawks topped the No. 4 seed Wagner College Seahawks 8-4 in an loser’s bracket contest in Game Three of the 2005 Northeast Conference Baseball Tournament at FirstEnergy Park. Monmouth (28-23) moves on to face either No. 1 seed Quinnipiac University or No. 2 seed Sacred Heart Univ. at 3:30 on Sunday, May 22. Wagner concludes their season with a 22-27 mark.
On Sunday, Quinnipiac and Sacred Heart will face off at noon in the game of unbeaten. Following the first contest, Monmouth faces the loser of Quinnipiac-Sacred Heart. The third game will be played at 7:00 pm depending on the outcome of first two games on Sunday. If the loser of Sacred Heart-Quinnipiac wins the following game, the first championship round game will be played on Monday at noon as per NEC policy.
Monmouth starting pitcher Joe Cummings (Toms River, NJ/Toms River East) earned the win on the mound for the Hawks, allowing just three earned runs in six innings. He worked around eight Wagner hits while striking out two. MU junior lefty Vince Grande (Barnegat, NJ/Southern Regional) and junior righty Kevin Schneider (Lawrenceville, NJ/Lawrence) worked the final three innings of relief without allowing an earned run.
Monmouth was led by junior catcher Mike Hussa (Denville, NJ/Seton Hall Prep), freshman first baseman Andy Meyers (Stratford, NJ/Sterling) and senior centerfielder Cip Apicelli (Oakhurst, NJ/Ocean Twp.), who all collected two hits. Junior third baseman Marc Weres (Union, NJ/Union) paced the Hawks with two RBI.
Wagner got two hits apiece from sophomore rightfielder Ed Sudol (Wallington, NJ/Wallington) and junior catcher Mike Picarello (Clifton, NJ/Clifton).
Monmouth got on the board in the top half of the first when Hussa singled with one out before moving to second base on a wild pitch. Then with two outs, MU senior rightfielder Fran Rotella (Secaucus, NJ/St. Peter’s Prep) lined a single to shallow centerfield. Wagner centerfielder Jared Williams (Washington, D.C./DeMatha) dove feet-first for the baseball but had the ball glance off his glove as Hussa scored easily.
In the bottom of the second, Wagner tied the game at 1-1 as Sudol and senior DH Kane Furst (E. Stroudsburg, PA/E. Stroudsburg) laced consecutive singles to right centerfield with one out. Two batters later, Picarello ripped a RBI single up the middle to plate Sudol.
In the Monmouth fifth, the Hawks took a 2-1 lead as they scored an unearned run. In the sixth, Monmouth upped their lead to 5-1. Rotella walked and freshman first baseman Andy Meyers (Stratford, NJ/Sterling) singled with two outs. Weres then drilled a long triple to left centerfield to plate Rotella and Meyers before Weres scored on a balk.
Wagner closed to 5-3 in the bottom of the sixth as the Green & White tallied two runs. Sudol tripled to right centerfield with no outs after sophomore left fielder Matt Mastrianni (Ringoes, NJ/Hunterdon Cent.), who singled to lead off the inning, scored easily from first. Designated hitter Furst then plated Sudol with a RBI groundout.
Wagner pulled closer again in the bottom of the seventh, 5-4. Wagner centerfielder Williams singled to lead off the inning. Two outs later, senior first baseman Troy Sogluizzo (Staten Island, NY/Curtis) dribbled a ball to the third base that Weres threw away, allowing Williams to score all the way from first base.
Monmouth upped their lead to 7-4 in the visitor’s half of the eighth. Hussa doubled to left centerfield to lead off the inning and moved to third on passed ball. Two batters later, Rotella walked with one out. Meyers then blooped a single to left field that drove in Hussa. Weres then walked to load the bases. Wagner then brought in reliever Joe Testa (Brick, NJ/Brick) before Rotella scored on a wild pitch.
MU pushed across an insurance run in the top of the ninth. Apicelli tripled to rightfield to lead off the inning as the Seahawk rightfielder lost the liner in the lights. Apicelli later scored to give Monmouth an 8-4 bulge as Hardie picked up an RBI with another liner to right field.
Game 4: Quinnipiac 7, Sacred Heart 0
Lakewood, NJ – Quinnipiac University junior right-hander Chris Wakefield (Ronkonkoma, N.Y./Connetquot) set a new Northeast Conference tournament record with a complete-game one-hitter as the Bobcats shut out Sacred Heart on Sunday afternoon in a winners’ bracket contest. Wakefield carried a no-hitter into the seventh inning and eclipsed the previous single-game league tourney best of two hits allowed.
The Bobcats (25-19) can win the 2005 NEC Tournament title with a victory in its next contest. The opponent is still yet to be determined. The winner of the Monmouth-Sacred Heart game at 3:30 p.m. will take on Quinnipiac. That school will have to beat the Bobcats twice in order to win the NEC Tournament title.
If Sacred Heart wins, the two teams will play at noon on Monday. If Monmouth wins, the teams will play tonight at 7 p.m.
The Bobcats opened the scoring with four runs in the top of the second. Brien Magee (Stamford, Conn./Trinity Catholic) and Wilson Matos (Larchmont, N.Y./Mamoraneck) were hit by pitches to start the inning. One out later, Randy Gress (Shelton, Conn./Notre Dame) singled to load the bases. Ricky Coppola (Orange, Conn./Amity) followed with a two-run double down the left field line. John Delaney (Hanson, Mass./Xavierian) added a sacrifice fly that scored Gress before Ryan Rizzo (East Northport, N.Y./Commack) singled to score the fourth Quinnipiac run.
Quinnipiac added another run in the fourth on doubles by Rizzo and Tim Binkoski (North Haven, Conn./North Haven).
The Bobcats tacked on two runs in the seventh. Binkoski walked to lead off the frame, but moved all the way to third on a double by Magee. Matos knocked a single through a drawn-in infield to plate Binkoski and Magee came in on a suicide squeeze by Kevin MacIlvane (Windsor, Conn./East Catholic).
Sacred Heart recorded its only hit in the bottom of the seventh, a bloop single to center field by Chris Vartuli (Norwalk, Conn./McMahon).
Game 5: Monmouth 10, Sacred Heart 3
Lakewood, NJ - Freshman pitcher Brad Brach (Freehold, NJ/Freehold Township) tossed a complete-game six-hitter, while senior Fran Rotella (Secaucus, NJ/Secaucus) had two hits and an RBI in a seven-run fourth inning to lead the Monmouth Hawks to a 10-3 win over #2 seed Sacred Heart University in an elimination game in the 2005 Northeast Conference Baseball Tournament.
Monmouth, 29-23, took a 1-0 lead in the bottom of the third inning on an RBI infield single by junior catcher Mike Hussa (Denville, NJ/Seton Hall Prep) that scored Cipriano Apicelli (Oakhurst, NJ/Ocean Township), who had led off the frame with a single.
The Pioneers, who conclude their season at 20-33, took a 3-1 lead off Brach with three runs in the top of the fourth. With one out, sophomore first baseman Jay Monti (Marlboro, NY/Marlboro) singled. He went to second on a single by Dan Garcia (Nanuet, NY/Clarkstown South) and scored on a hit-and-run single to right by senior catcher Chris Vartuli (Norwalk, CT/Brien McMahon). Pete Kandybowicz (Massapequa, NY/Massapequa) drove home the second run with a single to left, as did Tony Diaz (Middletown, NY/Middletown) who plated the third. On the Diaz single, a potential fourth run by Kandybowicz was gunned down at the plate by Monmouth left fielder Brett Hardie (Toms River, NJ/Toms River South).
The Hawks quickly erased the SHU lead and broke the game open with a seven-run fourth, sending 12 runners to the plate. Pioneer starter Chris Howard gave up a leadoff single to senior Fran Rotella and then walked the next two batters to load the bases. Designated hitter Frank Pilitowski (Franklinville, NJ/Delsea Regional) followed with a two-run double to tie the score at 3-3. Apicelli then laced a two-run double of his own to put the Hawks up 5-3 and signaled the end of the day for Pioneer starter Chris Howard (Ghent, NY/Hudson).
Shortstop Kyle Higgins (Green Brook, NJ/Watchung Hills) greeted reliever Rob Duell (Scotia, NY/Niskayuna) with a triple down the right field line to score Apicelli. Hardie singled to score Higgins and make it 7-3 and Rotella drove home the final run of the inning with a single, his second hit of the inning.
After giving up the three runs in the fourth, Brach settled down and retired the next ten Pioneers before hitting Josh Enos (Paulsboro, NJ/Paulsboro) with one out in the eighth inning. He gave up a two-out single to Garcia in the same inning, but it would be the final hit for the Pioneers. Brach finished the game with six strikeouts and just one walk to push his record to 6-4.
The Hawks will face top-seeded Quinnipiac University in the championship round starting tonight at 7:00 p.m. For Monmouth to win the NEC title, they will have to beat the Bobcats twice. Quinnipiac rolled through its first two games of the Tournament, 13-6 over Monmouth and 7-0 against Sacred Heart.
Game 6: Monmouth 8, Quinnipiac 2
Lakewood, NJ -- The Monmouth University baseball team moved one step closer towards coming out of the losers’ bracket and taking the 2005 Northeast Conference Tournament crown with an 8-2 victory over top-seeded and previously undefeated Quinnipiac University on Sunday night. The two teams will now play at high noon on Monday afternoon for the right to advance to the NCAA Tournament.
Things started out well for the Bobcats (25-20), who scored first for the third time in as many games in the tournament. Tim Binkoski (North Haven, Conn./North Haven) walked and came around to score on a double by Bryan Sabatella (Wading River, N.Y./Shoreham Wading River) in the top of the third inning.
The lead was short-lived, though, as Monmouth (30-23) scored twice in the bottom of the third. Kyle Higgins (Green Brook, N.J./Watchung Hills) walked with one out. Brett Hardie (Toms River, N.J./Toms River South) attempted a sacrifice bunt, but Quinnipiac pitcher Ari Kafka (Sharon, Mass./Sharon) threw wildly to first base, allowing runners to advance to second and third. Kafka got the next batter out, but Fran Rotella (Seacaucus, N.J./St. Peter’s Prep) doubled to left center to score two runs.
The Hawks added two more runs in the fourth. Kafka sandwiched two outs around a walk to Frank Pilitkowski (Franklinville, N.J./Delsea Regional). However, the Hawks then came up with three straight singles – by Hardie, Higgins and Mike Hussa (Denville, N.J./Seton Hall Prep) to add on two more runs.
Monmouth scored another run in the fifth, again coming through with a two-out rally. Marc Weres (Union, N.J./Union) tripled and came home on a single by Pilitkowski.
Three more runs crossed the plate in the sixth, all of the unearned variety – and thanks to another two-out rally. Nick Massari (Trenton, N.J./Hamilton West), Rotella and Pilitkowski all chipped in RBI singles.
Winning pitcher Brett Connor (Shelton, Conn./St. Thomas More) went eight and two-thirds strong innings to improve to 4-2 on the season.
Game 7 (NEC Championship): Quinnipiac 7, Monmouth 3
Lakewood, NJ - Freshman John Delaney (Hanson, Mass./Hanson) went 3-for-4 with three RBI and a run scored to lift the Quinnipiac University baseball team to a 7-3 win over Monmouth University in the Northeast Conference Championship game on Monday at FirstEnergy Park. Quinnipiac earns its first-ever NEC championship and NCAA berth. Monmouth finished out the season 30-24, while the Bobcats improved to 26-20. Sophomore Ryan Rizzo (East Northport, N.Y./Commack) was named tournament Most Valuable Player. He batted .550 (11-for-20) with three doubles and three RBI in four games.
Quinnipiac got things started in the first inning as Delaney walked and scored on a two-out double by Tim Binkoski (North Haven, Conn./North Haven) making it 1-0. The Bobcats added a run in the second when Ricky Coppola (Orange, Conn./Orange), who was hit by a pitch, came around to score on a two-out single by Ryan Rizzo (East Northport, N.Y./Commack).
The Hawks cut into Quinnipiac’s lead in the top of third. Brett Hardie (Toms River, N.J./Toms River South) walked, Mike Hussa (Denville, N.J./Seton Hall Prep) was hit by a pitch, and Fran Rotella (Secaucus, N.J./St. Peter’s Prep) walked to load the bases. Nick Massari (Trenton, N.J./Hamilton West) hit a sacrifice fly to center field, which scored Hardie, but Hussa was doubled up for leaving second base early.
Quinnipiac put up three runs with two outs in the third. Kevin MacIlvane (Windsor, Conn./East Catholic) cracked a solo homer down the left field line and Delaney hit a two-run single to left center to stretch the lead to 5-1.
Monmouth scored single runs in the fourth and sixth innings, while Quinnipiac answered with single runs in the fifth and seventh making it 7-3.
Quinnipiac starter Mike Spahr (Oceanport, N.J./Shore Regional) and Monmouth reliever Kevin Schneider (Lawrenceville, N.J./Lawrence) held their opponents scoreless for the final three innings. Spahr pitched a complete game allowing three runs, two earned, on nine hits, while retiring the final 10 batters he faced.
Monmouth starter Vince Grande (Barnegat, N.J./Southern Regional) falls to 3-5. He pitched two and two-thirds innings allowing five runs on seven hits.
Beyond Delaney for Quinnipiac, Wilson Matos (Larchmont, N.Y./Mamaroneck) was 2-for-4 with a pair of runs scored, while MacIlvane was 2-for-4 with a solo home run.
For Monmouth, Cipriano Apicelli (Oakhurst, N.J./Ocean Township) was 3-for-4 with an RBI, while Hardie was 2-for-4 with an RBI and a run scored.