Box Score 

BRIDGEPORT, Conn. - The Fairfield University baseball team was edged, 3-2, by cross-town foe Sacred Heart University this afternoon at a chilly Ballpark at Harbor Yard.

Jared Balbach (1-2) picked up the first win of the year for the Pioneers after allowing two runs and scattering six hits over five and a third innings while striking out six batters. Chris Barthel picked up the save after throwing a scoreless inning of relief, striking out two of the three batters he faced.

Fairfield sophomore Kevin Fico (Stamford, Conn.) took the loss in an otherwise solid outing. Fico went seven innings with eight strikeouts but allowed three runs on seven hits. He walked just one batter.

The Pioneers (1-8) struck first putting two runs on the board in the bottom of the first inning. Sacred Heart strung together three hits to start the game, including an RBI double by Jeff Hanson. Fairfield (2-8) threatened in the top of the third inning putting runners on first and second with no outs, but Balbach struck out the next three batters to get out of the jam. Sacred Heart added another run in the bottom of the fourth as Paul Schmidt homered to right field to make the score 3-0.

The Stags bats came alive in the top of the sixth inning. With one out, senior Peter Allen (Mamaroneck, N.Y.) tripled to the right field corner, and came around to score on a single by senior Brian Rudolph (Washington Twp., N.J.). Senior Mike Weiner (Easton, Conn.) followed with a double to plate Rudolph to pull the Stags within 3-2. Reliever Chris Zaccherio came in to stop Fairfield's effort retiring the next two batters.

Allen went 2-for-4 on the day while Weiner went 2-for-3 with a double and an RBI.

Fairfield has three more games on its road swing. The Stags travel to Fordham on March 14, followed by St. John's on March 15 and New York Tech on March 16. Fairfield's home opener is March 18 when it hosts St. John's at 3 p.m. at Alumni Diamond.