Box Score JERSEY CITY, N.J. – Senior Mark Wilson (Clark, N.J./Arthur L. Johnson) pitched seven strong innings on senior day to lift Saint Peter's past Marist 8-4 in Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference (MAAC) baseball action on Sunday.
Wilson made the most of his final collegiate contest, allowing three runs on 11 hits with three strikeouts in 7.2 inning pitched. The senior saved his best pitching performance of the season for his last game to earn his first win of the year.
Wilson was the only pitcher of the seven seniors honors in a pregame ceremony before the game. The six batters each played a role in the victory, combining to go 10-for-22 and scored all eight runs and added four RBIs.
Kyle Grimes (Iselin, N.J./JFK Memorial) went 1-for-1 with two runs scored and two RBIs. The senior also was hit by a pitch twice and walked once and only did not reach base when he hit a sacrifice fly to score a run in his final five plate appearances.
Chris Hugg (Ironia, N.J./Randolph) went 3-for-4 with two runs scored and ended the series 8-for-13. Michael Wulff (Madison, N.J./Madison) had two doubles and two runs scored while Nick Henriquez (Paramus, N.J./Paramus) and Zach Rawson (Ashburn, Va./Broad Run) each had a hit, a run scored and an RBI. Rawson also made his collegiate debut on the mound, allowing two hits and Sean Henry (Brick, N.J./Brick Township) registered two hits to complete the shining final game for the 2015 senior class.
Rob Moore (Ridge, N.Y./Longwood) added a hit and three RBIs for the Peacocks (10-37-1, 7-17 MAAC) while Jon Kristoffersen (Jefferson, N.J./Jefferson Township) had an RBI double in the winning effort.
Matt Pagano paced the Red Foxes (18-25-1, 12-12 MAAC) with three hits and an RBI while Zach Racusin posted two hits and an RBI in the loss.
Marist swept the doubleheader on Saturday to clinch the final playoff spot in the upcoming MAAC Tournament. Sunday's game had no barring on the standings, but for the Saint Peter's seven seniors it will be a game they will remember.
After the Red Foxes scored a run in the first on a Pagano RBI single, the Peacocks scored four times in the third to take the lead they would not relinquish.
Grimes started the rally when he was hit by a pitch for the second time in the game before Hugg found his favorite hole through the left side for a single. Henriquez brought home Grimes on a single up the middle before Rawson plated Hugg with a ball right back through the box. Moore then capped the inning with a two-run double down the right field line for a 4-3 lead.
Marist answered with a run in the fourth on a Graham McIntire sacrifice fly to trim the margin to 4-2.
Saint Peter's responded right back with a run in the bottom of the inning to reclaim a three-run advantage. Grimes reached base for the third-straight time on a walk and then scored all the way from first on Kristoffersen's RBI double to right center.
The Peacocks then made it a 6-2 contest with a run in the sixth. Wulff doubled down the left field line and touched home on Grimes' sacrifice fly at the fence in right field for the only time that the Red Foxes' kept the senior off the base paths on the afternoon.
Saint Peter's added a run in the seventh when Hugg beat out an infield single to shortstop and touched home on Moore's sacrifice fly to right field to increase the margin to 7-2.
Wilson allowed a single and then recorded a sacrifice bunt and a fly out before being taken out of the game to a standing ovation in his final game on the hill. Marist scored twice in the inning after Wilson left on a Alec Petrone RBI double and a Racusin run-scoring single to trim the margin to 7-4.
After doubling down the left field line in his last at-bat, Wulff found the other line for a double down the right field line and then touched home on Grimes' RBI single to right center for an 8-4 lead.
The Peacocks got the first two outs in the ninth and then let Rawson try to get the third out of the inning. Tyler Kirkpatrick hit a ground ball down the third base line and Henry made a nice diving stop, but Kirkpatrick beat out the throw for an infield single. Pagano then hit a hard grounder that hit the umpire at second for a dead ball single. Paul Schifilliti (Toms River, N.J./Toms River East) came in to record the strikeout for the save and Rawson ends his pitching career with two hits and an ERA of 0.00.
With the win, Saint Peter's ended a 10-game losing streak and a nine-game league-losing streak. The squad also won the final game of a league series for the first time this year.
