April 15, 2006
Game 1 Box Score | Game 2 Box Score
RIVERDALE, N.Y. - Graduate Student Paul DeMarco (Honeoye Falls, N.Y./Duke University) pitched seven innings of shutout baseball, and senior John Scaife (Ansonia, Conn./Ansonia) knocked in five runs, as the Fairfield University baseball team swept league-leading Manhattan College in a Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference (MAAC) doubleheader on Saturday afternoon at Van Cortlandt Park.
Fairfield (11-17, 6-5 MAAC) won the first game 1-0, after Manhattan (14-14, 7-4 MAAC) stranded 10 runners. In the nightcap, Fairfield scored four times in the ninth, to win 7-4.
The first game was an ole fashion pitchers dual as DeMarco (3-4) gave up four hits, while striking out three in seven innings of work. Manhattan's Chris Cody went the distance, giving up one run on four hits. Both starters combined for just six hits in the first seven innings.
Manhattan would threaten in the third inning, as two walks and a hit batsman would load the bases with two outs. But, DeMarco would get John Fitzpatrick to ground out to third base.
The only run of the game came in the top of the eighth inning for the Stags. Senior Jim Girolamo (Wayland, Mass./Wayland) reached on an infield single, and then stole second. Girolamo came home, when sophomore Adam Chilelli (Garden City, N.Y./Garden City) reached on an error by the Manhattan second baseman.
Freshman Dan Gallagher (Allendale, N.J./Bergen Catholic) came on in relief of DeMarco to pitch two innings of shutout ball, to record the save.
Junior Brian Schappert (Wyckoff, N.J./Saint Joseph's University) went 2-for-3 with a walk, and senior Doug Anderson (Randolph, N.J./Delbarton) went 1-for-3 with a walk, for the Stags.
In the nightcap, the Stags would get on the board first, when Scaife blasted his second homerun of the season, and 13th of his career with a two-run shot to right. Manhattan tied the game with single runs in the first and second innings. Eric Nieto scored on a stolen base, and then Ruben Perez scored on a throwing error.
Fairfield would take a 3-2 lead in the third inning, as Scaife's sacrifice fly plated DeSimone who singled and went to second on an error, and then went to third on a base hit by Anderson.
Manhattan tied it in the fifth, with a homerun by Nunzio Franzese. The Jaspers took the lead in the sixth when Perez tripled to the right centerfield gap plating Dom Lombardi who singled.
In the top of the seventh, Schappert drew a leadoff walk, and then DeSimone doubled down the left field line to put runners on second and third. That brought Anderson to the plate, and his single to center scored Schappert. Then Scaife would add to his RBI total, with a double to left center scoring DeSimone and Anderson. Scaife would come home, when Girolamo ripped a two-out double to left centerfield.
Gallagher came on to work a perfect seventh inning, to record his second save of the afternoon, and fifth of the season. He is now tied for second in saves in a season, with Scott Larkin (1991), and Keith D'Amato (1981).
Scaife finished the second game, 2-for-3 with a homerun, double, two runs scored and five runs batted in. Anderson would finish the second game 4-for-4 with two runs batted in and a run scored. DeSimone went 2-for-4 with two runs scored.
The series will conclude on Monday afternoon with a nine-inning game beginning at 1 p.m. at Van Cortlandt Park.
