No. 4-seeded Senerchia Post 74 blew a three-run lead in the bottom of the eighth inning to fall to No. 1-seeded Upper Deck, 6-5, at Johnson and Wales’ Harborside campus on Tuesday night. It was Upper Deck pinch-hitter Trevor Marques, who knocked in the game-tying runs before Jake Petrin batted in the game-winning run.

Upper Deck starting pitcher Chris Wright fanned 12 batters in his complete-game performance.

Senerchia’s Matt Sweeney led off the top of the first inning with a triple off of Wright. Next, Jaimen Albizu bunted in Sweeney after Upper Deck couldn’t make a clean play at the plate. With Senerchia leading 1-0, Wright buckled down and recorded three straight strikeouts on Elijah Brown, Joe Boland and Nico Salvaggio, preventing any further damage.

In the bottom of the first, Caleb Wurster started on the hill for Senerchia. He struck out Josh Brodeur before Tyler Calabro got on after an infield hit. With one down, Wurster got Tyler Walsh to fly out and Wright to ground out to end the first.

Wright struck out Senerchia’s Billy Roberge to start the second inning before walking Conor Kiely, the designated hitter. Wright then struck out Brian Cipolla before Kiely swiped second. It went for naught as Wright would eventually pick off Kiely, who was caught off the bag at second.

Wurster struck out Ryan O’Neill to lead off the bottom of the second. Next, Wurster got Jason Doris out on a ground ball and Petrin popped out to the shortstop Crocenzi.

In the top of the third, Wright fanned Crocenzi and Albizu and got Sweeney to ground out.

Upper Deck center fielder Drew Szafranski got on second base after a Senerchia error in the bottom of the third. Wurster then struck out Nathan Donovan next for the first out before getting Brodeur and Calabro to fly out.

With two down in the top of the fourth, Senerchia’s Salvaggio hit the first pitch up the middle for a single. However, Wright would earn a strikeout on Roberge to strand the runner, keeping the deficit at 1-0.

Walsh singled up the middle in the bottom of the fourth. Wurster then got Wright to hit into a double play. O’Neill would get on first after an error by the Senerchia shortstop. Boland kept his eye on O’Neill and eventually threw him out trying to steal second for the final out of the inning.

In the top of the fifth, Wright struck out Kiely before surrendering a double to Cipolla. Next, Crocenzi hit a single, putting runners at the corners for Sweeney. Wright would hit the batter to load the bases. Next, Albizu hit a laser to right, scoring Cipolla, while putting Senerchia on top 2-0. Brown then hit a bomb to right, scoring two more runs, putting Senerchia on top 4-0. Wright then got a strikeout on Boland and Salvaggio.

Upper Deck’s Doris reached after an error by Crocenzi in the bottom of the fifth. However, Doris was thrown out trying to swipe second. Wurster would induce a ground ball out before striking out Szafranska for the last out.

In the top of the sixth, Roberge lined out to the pitcher. Next, Wright walked Kiely. Cipolla then grounded into a fielder’s choice force out at second before Crocenzi grounded out for the final out of the inning.

In the bottom of the sixth, Donovan got on first base after an error by Sweeney at third. After another error, this time at first base, Upper Deck had runners at second and third with no one out. Wurster then walked Calabro to load the bases. That’s when Walsh blasted a 2-RBI double, pulling Upper Deck within 4-2. Wurster would then walk Wright to reload the bases. Wurster buckled down and struck out O’Neill and Doris before getting Petrin to ground out to the third baseman for the final out, preventing any further damage in the inning.

With one down in the top of the seventh, Albizu hit a single and on a passed ball he took second. Brown then hit a rocket to right, scoring Albizu and extending Senerchia’s lead to 5-2. Fortunately for Upper Deck, Wright was able to escape without further damage when he got Salvaggio to ground into a double play to end the top of the inning.

The seventh inning flew by as both pitchers had 1-2-3 innings.  

In the bottom of the eighth inning, Wurster got Calabro to fly out to right before walking Walsh. Wright singled to right next, putting runners at first and second. That’s when Senerchia head coach Chris Sheehan went to his bullpen to get reliever Jordan Marot. Despite the fresh arm, O’Neill singled off Marot to load the bases. Upper Deck then elected to pinch-hit Marques and it paid off. The lefty hit a bases-clearing double to tie the game at 5. On a passed ball, Marques took third. Petrin then hit a blast to right to score the go-ahead run, giving Upper Deck a 6-5 lead.

Sheehan didn’t have any regrets about electing to go with Marot over his closer, Brown, in the eighth.

“We brought Jordan in to get a ground ball,” Sheehan said. “That’s the type of pitcher he is, he gets a lot of ground balls. We had a double play situation. We were one pitch away from getting out of that and he got a ground ball to third base, it just took a tough hop. Then he kind of hung a curveball there to Marques, who cleared the bases with that. That kid is a really good hitter, so tip your cap to him.”

With Senerchia down to its final three outs, Wright calmly shut the door in the ninth. He got Crocenzi to line out and Sweeney to ground out before he struck out Albizu to end the game.

Senerchia played an elimination game against Gershkoff on Wednesday, but results were unavailable at press time.