April 8, 2004
FAIRFIELD, Conn. - Senior Nick Hudyma (New Britain, Conn./New Britain) laced a two-out single to the right field fence to drive in sophomore Tom Arpino (Brooklyn, N.Y./Xaverian), breaking a 10-10 tie in the bottom of the 11th inning to give the Fairfield University baseball team an 11-10 win over Rider University, in the first game of a Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference (MAAC) series at Alumni Diamond.
With the win the Stags improve to 8-10 overall, and 4-3 in the MAAC, while the Broncs fall to 8-15 overall, and 2-5 in the MAAC.
Senior Antuan Barnett (Bronx, N.Y./Rice) hit two homeruns and drove in four runs, while going 3-for-5 at the plate for the Stags. Barnett was one homerun shy of Mike Savab three homerun performance against Saint Peter's on April 11, 1987.
Senior Sal Mancuso (Bethpage, N.Y./Bethpage) was also 3-for-5, while scoring three runs, and stroking his first triple of the season.
Rider scored twice in the top of the first inning, but the Stags added a run on a sophomore Doug Anderson (Randolph, N.J./Delbarton) RBI single. The Stags tied it with a run scoring single by Hudyma to plate junior David Soucy (Glastonbury, Conn./Glastonbury).
In the bottom of the third Barnett smacked a monster homerun, which was estimated well over 450-feet.
Behind the solid pitching of senior Matt Young (Berlin, Conn./Berlin) and a run in the bottom of the fourth the Stags held a 5-3 lead, until the top of the seventh inning. Young finished the day with nine strikeouts.
The Broncs got to Young in the seventh touching him for three runs on two hits. Rider also tacked on what appeared to be four insurance runs in the top of the ninth inning. However, the Stags scored five runs on six hits in their last at-bat to force extra innings.
In three plate appearances after entering the game, Arpino was 3-for-3 with a run batted in and run scored. Sophomore Jim Girolamo was 2-for-5 with a run batted in, off a bunt single in the ninth inning rally for the Stags.
Senior Pat Quinn (Paterson, N.J./Passaic Valley) pitched two and two thirds innings of work to pick up his first win of the season. Quinn yielded only two hits and two walk, while striking out four Broncs.
Rider's Gene Crimoli was 4-for-5 with five runs batted in and one run scored. Mike Poalise was 2-for-4 with four runs scored.
Fairfield and Rider will finish the MAAC series on Saturday afternoon, at Alumni Diamond with a doubleheader. The first game is scheduled for nine-innings, with first pitch slated for 12 p.m. A seven-inning game will follow the first game to complete the twin bill.
