Baseball Downs Rider 14-4
Apr 26, 2009
LAWRENCEVILLE, N.J. - All nine Stags recorded at least one hit and all but one scored or drove in a run as the Fairfield University baseball team downed Rider University, 14-4, in the series clincher against the Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference (MAAC) foes. Junior Jason Rago (Fairfield, Conn.) crossed the plate four times while sophomore Tucker Nathans (Warwick, N.Y.) and rookie Tyler Wosleger (East Hampton, Conn.) drove in three runs apiece.
In his six plate appearances for the Stags (17-19; 7-8 MAAC), Rago drew three walks and hit his fourth homer of the year. Wosleger went 1-for-2 with double and a run scored. He also walked and was hit by a pitch while Nathans finished the day 2-for-5. On the mound, junior Scott Gussaroff (Lloyd Harbor, N.Y.) picked up his first win of the year by scattering four runs on eight hits in 6.0 innings of work.
Sophomore Carmine DeVito (Plainview, N.Y.) jumpstarted the Fairfield offense in the top of the second with a leadoff homerun, the first of his career. Rago followed with a walk and later came around to score on a wild pitch to give the Stags a 2-0 lead. Fairfield added another run in the top of the third on a sac fly by Nathans.
Rider (19-17; 10-8 MAAC) tied the game, 3-3, in the bottom of the third inning on a sac fly by Mason Heyne and a two-out single by Mo Williams which scored a pair of runs. The Stags regained the lead in the top of the fourth on Rago's leadoff homer and never looked back.
Fairfield extended its lead to 9-3 in the top of the sixth with a five-run effort. With the bases loaded and nobody out, Chris Horning (Potomac, Md.) was hit by a pitch for the 13th time this season to force in Rago, who had drawn a walk to start the stanza. Wosleger followed with a double to right field to drive in two runs. The Stags added the final run of the inning on an RBI groundout by freshman Mark Skrapits (Bronx, N.Y.). Rider got one of the runs back in the bottom of the inning on a sac fly but it was not enough as Fairfield posted three more runs in the top of the seventh and a pair of runs in the top of the ninth.
Relievers Dan Gallagher (Allendale, N.J.) and Justin Servino (Mt. Vernon, N.Y.) kept the Broncs off the board during the final three innings. Gallagher went two innings scattering three hits along while striking out three. Servino retired all three batters he faced in the ninth, striking out two of them.
Fairfield notched 12 hits on the day, five of which were for extra bases, and drew five walks. Horning went 2-for-4 with two RBI and two runs scored while junior David Dudish (Olney, Md.) went 2-for-4 with two runs scored and an RBI.
Fairfield is back in action on April 28 against Sacred Heart at Alumni Diamond in a 3:30 p.m. start. The Stags host Stony Brook on April 29 and will wrap up play at home May 2-3 against Iona. Prior to the game next Sunday, Fairfield will honor its senior class.
