Box Score

JAMAICA, N.Y. - The Fairfield University baseball team's ninth-inning rally fell short as the Stags were nipped by Big East foe St. John's, 3-2, this afternoon at Jack Kaiser Stadium.

Trailing 3-2 with two outs in the top of the ninth inning, Fairfield (2-7) loaded the bases after three consecutive walks by the Red Storm (6-6) staff. With the count at 2-1 for rookie Ryan Furbeck (Oakland, N.J.), St. John's reliever Rich Armento threw a pitch in the dirt that bounced by catcher Danny Benedetti. Pinch runner Bill Rafferty (Guilderland, N.Y.) bolted for home but Benedetti was able to retrieve the ball and fire it to Armento, who applied the tag in a bang-bang play at the plate for the final out of the game.

Junior Rob Gariano (Nutley, N.J.) held the Red Storm (6-6) to just four hits in the complete game effort. He struck out two batters and walked three batters in eight innings of work.

St. John's took a 1-0 lead in the bottom of the first after Brian Kemp scored from third on a balk. The Stags answered in the top of the third inning as rookie Mark Skrapits (Bronx, N.Y.) blasted his first collegiate homerun to tie the game 1-1.

Fairfield took the lead in the top of the fourth inning as Tucker Nathans (Warwick, N.Y.) scored on a single by David Dudish (Olney, Md.). The Stags started the inning by notching back-to-back singles off the bats of Matt Tiagwad (Mt. Laurel, N.J.) and Nathans. After Tiagwad was picked off second base, junior Jason Rago (Fairfield, Conn.) walked to load the bases for Dudish.

The Red Storm regained the lead with a two-run fifth inning. With one out Kemp walked and stole second. After Joe Panik drew a walk, Jimmy Parque doubled to left center to score Kemp. Paul Karmas followed with an RBI groundout that proved to be the game-winner. After the Karmas groundout, Gariano retired the final seven batters he faced.

Junior Bruce Kern (2-0) picked up the win for St. John's, going 5.2 innings with allowing two runs on five hits and four walks. He also struck out five batters. Armento picked up his first save of the year.

Fairfield heads to Old Westbury, N.Y. on March 15 to finish the season series with NYIT.