Box Score

FAIRFIELD, Conn.  - Freshman Sam Robertson (Ridgefield, Conn.) tossed a gem en route to his first collegiate victory as the Fairfield University baseball team edged cross-town rival Sacred Heart University, 3-2, this afternoon at Alumni Diamond.

Robertson scattered two runs on three hits with a season-high 10 strikeouts in 8.0 innings of work. The righty retired the first 11 batters he faced before the Pioneers' Tyler Santos broke it up with a single to right field in the fourth inning. After the hit, Robertson (1-1) retired the next four batters before Mike Drowne let off the sixth with a single.

Robertson and the Stags had a shutout until the seventh when Sacred Heart (7-10) got on the board on back-to-back sac flies by Paul Schmidt and Mike Olszyk. Robertson set the Pioneers down in order in the eighth while junior Justin Servino (Mt. Vernon, N.Y.) shut the door on Sacred Heart in the ninth for his third save of the season.

Fairfield (7-9) jumped out to a 3-0 lead in the bottom of the first inning which was all the offense the Stags needed. With two outs, sophomore Tucker Nathans (Warwick, N.Y.) tripled to right center while Jason Rago (Fairfield, Conn.) followed with a walk. Junior David Dudish (Olney, Md.) then doubled to left field to give the Stags a 2-0 lead. Bill Rafferty (Guilderland, N.Y.) then singled up the middle to bring in Dudish and extend the lead to three runs.

Nathans finished the day 2-for-4 with a run scored while Dudish went 1-for-3 with two RBI and a runs scored.

For Sacred Heart, Ryan Lynch (0-1) took the loss, allowing three runs on four hits in two innings. In his first collegiate appearance, James Ineson threw four scoreless and hitless innings with three strikeouts and a walk. Corey Corcoran pitched the final two innings allowing two hits while striking out two Stags.

Fairfield heads to UMBC for a three game-series beginning on March 28.