April 5, 2007
BRONX, N.Y. - Houlihan Park was a cold and windy place for the Fairfield University baseball team to be this afternoon as the Stags fell to host Fordham, 10-6, in non-conference action. With the loss, Fairfield drops to 6-13 on the season while the Rams improve to 14-10.
Sophomore Dave Brizzolara (Norwood, N.J) recorded his third-straight multi-hit game, going 2-for-4 with an RBI and a run scored. Junior Albie DeSimone (Pelham, N.Y.) also went 2-for-4 with a run scored. Junior Peter Allen (Mamaroneck, N.Y.) went 2-for-3 with an RBI and a run scored. Allen has now reached safely in 24 consecutive games.
Fordham's Ryan Welch (1-0) picked up the win going one and two-third scoreless innings, giving up just one hit. Freshman Kevin Fico (Stamford, Conn.), in just his second start of the season, suffered the loss, allowing two runs on four hits along with two strikeouts in two innings of work.
The Rams opened the scoring in the bottom half of the first inning as Rich Goulin scored on a sacrifice fly to take a 1-0 lead. Fordham added another run in the bottom of the second inning on an RBI single by Mike Mobbs. With two outs and runners on second and third, rookie David Dudish (Olney, Md.) dove to his left to snag a screaming liner to end the Rams' threat. Fordham, however, would build its lead to 4-0 in the bottom of the third.
Fairfield rallied in the top of the fourth inning. With one out, Allen singled to left field. Lefthander Brian Tallerico then walked the next two batters to load the bases for Brizzolara, who drew a walk to force in a run. With Dudish at bat, Jason Rago (Fairfield, Conn.) crossed the plate on a passed ball to make the score 4-2. Dudish then walked on four-straight pitches from Welch to reload the bases. On an ensuing wild pitch by Welch, the Stags' threat was halted as Mike Weiner (Easton, Conn.) was tagged out at home as he was trying to score and Dudish was ruled out as he was attempting to return to first base. Fordham, however, got the two runs back in the bottom half of the inning to pull ahead 6-2.
The Stags continued to chip away at the lead, loading the bases in the top of the seventh inning on singles by Brizzolara and Adam Chilelli (Garden City, N.Y.) and a walk by DeSimone. One batter later, Brian Rudolph (Washington Twp., N.J.) drew a walk to force home Brizzolara. Allen then drew a walk of his own to bring home Chilelli to make the score 6-4. But that would be all the runs the Stags would plate, stranding three runners.
Fordham would get the runs right back in the bottom half of the seventh inning, putting up a three-spot to push its lead to 9-4. The Rams posted another run in the eighth inning to go up 10-4. Fairfield notched two runs in the top of the ninth. Pinch hitter Mike Joyce (Smithtown, N.Y.) plated Chilelli for his second time on the day with a single to left field. With two outs and the bases loaded, senior Philip Espinosa (Commack, N.Y.) was hit by a pitch to bring in DeSimone and set the score at 10-6. The Rams ended the rally with a strong defensive play at second base to strand Fairfield's eighth, ninth, and tenth runners of the day.
Fairfield will resume conference play April 7 and April 9 hosting Saint Peter's at Alumni Diamond. The first pitch of Saturday's doubleheader is slated for noon. Monday's contest will begin 1 p.m.
