April 10, 2004
Game 1 Box Score | Game 2 Box Score
FAIRFIELD, Conn. - Behind a stellar pitching performance from senior co-captain Tom Maisano (Farmingdale, N.Y./Chaminade) the Fairfield University baseball team won its second Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference (MAAC) series of the season, with a doubleheader split against Rider on a sunny Saturday afternoon at Alumni Diamond.
The Stags took the first game, 2-0, but fell in the nightcap, 7-1. Fairfield is 9-11 overall, and 5-4 in the MAAC, while Rider is now 9-16 overall and 3-6 in the MAAC. Fairfield has been on a tear as of late, winning six of its last eight games, including five of its last six before today's game.
Maisano (4-0) pitched a complete-game four-hit shutout in the opener, and recorded a season-high eight strikeouts. The Long Island native, also moved into fourth place on the school's all-time strikeout list, passing Steve Colcord (1998-2001) with 168 after this afternoon's game. Maisano entered the game with a MAAC-best 1.93 ERA, and lowered it to 1.54 after the win. He is now nine shy of Steve Becker (1988-91) who is third with 177.
In the first game, the Stags posted a run on the board in the bottom of the first inning. Senior Andy Lynn (Montville, N.J./Delbarton) walked, and then stole second to put a runner in scoring position for the Stags. After a single, by senior Sal Mancuso (Bethpage, N.Y./Bethpage), senior Antuan Barnett (Bronx, N.Y./Rice) grounded out to second, but Lynn was able to score for the first run of the game.
In the second, Fairfield loaded the bases, thanks to three straight singles, which brought Lynn to the plate, where he stroked a single to left field to bring home sophomore Jim Girolamo (Wayland, Mass./Wayland) for the second run of the game.
From there Maisano kept the Broncs at bay, retiring 15 hitters in a row and recording five of his eight strikeouts in that stretch.
Lynn was 1-for-1 with a run scored and a run batted in, while senior Mike Wray (Mahopac, N.Y./Mahopac) was 1-for-3 with a run scored.
In the nightcap, Rider's Joe Moronese pitched a complete game to pick up the win for the Broncs. Moronese gave up on run on nine hits, and one walk, while striking out four Stags.
Rider scored once in the top of the third, again in the top of the fourth, and twice in the top of the sixth. The Broncs would add three runs in the last two innings. The Stags tacked on a run in the bottom of the ninth to spoil the shutout bid for Moronese.
Barnett doubled down the right field line, and would advance to third a batter later on a groundout, and would score on a double on the leftfield line by sophomore John Scaife (Ansonia, Conn./Ansonia).
Junior Tim Dugan (Cedar Grove, N.J./Seton Hall Prep) took the loss for the Stags giving up four runs on six hits, while striking out six hitters. Dugan (1-4) leads the team in strikeouts with 32. Sophomore Sean Keegan (Middlebury, Conn./Pomperaug) pitched three innings of relief for the Stags giving up three runs on six hits.
Girolamo was 2-for-3, and Barnett was 1-for-3 with a RBI, to lead eight Fairfield players with hits in the second game.
Fairfield returns to action on Wednesday afternoon, as Pace comes to Alumni Diamond for a non-conference game. First pitch is slated for 3:30 p.m.
