April 17, 2005
FAIRFIELD, Conn. - Sophomore Ed Kamintzky (Astoria, N.Y./Regis) took a no-hitter into the eighth inning, scattering two runs on four hits in eight innings of work, as the Fairfield University baseball team defeated Siena College, 8-2, on Sunday afternoon at Alumni Diamond, in the Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference (MAAC) series finale with the Saints.
Kamintzky (2-3, 2.42) retired the first 10 batters he faced before second baseman Lou Gattozzi drew a walk to break up the perfect game bid. Gattozzi would advance to second, on a throwing error, but Kamintzky was able to get the next two hitters to get out of his first jam of the afternoon.
Early on it was a pitcher's dual, as Siena's (11-15, 6-3 MAAC) Joshua Burnett held the Stags to only one-run through the first five innings. Burnett, who took the loss, gave up seven runs, five earned on seven hits and a walk, while recording a strike out.
The Stags (7-22, 5-7 MAAC) scored the first run on the afternoon in the first inning, as junior John Scaife (Ansonia, Conn./Ansonia) lofted a sacrifice fly to centerfield, to bring home senior Mark Geanuleas (Glenside, Pa./Academy of the New Church), who led the game off for Fairfield with a single to left field.
Kamintzky cruised into the fifth, when Siena's Eric Hildenbrand reached on an error, and then later moved into scoring position with a stolen base. But, once again, the sophomore lefty was able to get out of the inning, by striking out the next two hitters, and keep the Saints hitless.
Fairfield gave Kamintzky a three-run cushion in the bottom of the sixth inning, when junior Jim Girolamo (Wayland, Mass./Wayland) singled, and then after junior Doug Anderson (Randolph, N.J./Delbarton) fouled out Scaife drove a pitch over the right centerfield fence to make it 3-0. The homerun was the fourth of the season for the Ansonia, Conn., native, and the eighth of his career.
Kamintzky got through the top of the seventh, allowing only a walk to Gabe Perez. In the home half of the seventh the Stags scored five runs on four hits, to make it 8-0. Geanuleas singled through the left side of the Siena infield to drive in senior David Soucy (Glastonbury, Conn./Glastonbury), who was hit by a pitch, and junior Tom Arpino (Brooklyn, N.Y./Xaverian) who led the inning off with a single up the middle.
After Girolamo reached on a fielder's choice erasing Geanuleas, Anderson smacked his second triple of the season, and of this week, to right centerfield plating Girolamo and freshman Adam Chilelli (Garden City, N.Y./Garden City). That brought Scaife to the plate, and he took a pitch and sent it into shallow left field to bring in Anderson.
But, in the eighth, Kamintzky's no-hit bid came to an end when Siena's Justin Arasin roped a single into centerfield. Then with one-out, Matt Gidaly singled to put runners on first and second. Chris Klepps stroked an RBI single to center to snap Kamintzky's 16-innings shutout streak at Alumni Diamond. Kamintzky got out of the inning without further damage.
Siena would get one more run in the ninth, as Gabe Perez doubled to left, which ended Kamintzky's afternoon, which brought junior Dan Breen to the mound. Breen got a fly-out, and a groundout which, Perez advanced to third. Then with Arasin at the plate, he singled up the middle to make it 8-2 Fairfield. Breen then recorded the final out with a fly out to centerfield.
Kamintzky struck out six hitters on the afternoon, and runs his home record to 2-0, as he shutout Saint Peter's for nine innings, back on April 5.
Scaife finished the day 3-for-3 with four runs batted in, and Geanuleas has two hits and two RBI on the afternoon. Anderson was 2-for-4 with two RBI and a run scored. Girolamo scored two runs on the afternoon.
After combining for 25 hits in the two games on Saturday, Siena was limited to five on the afternoon, all coming after the eighth inning, as Arasin went 2-for-4 with a runs scored and a run batted in.
Fairfield is back in action Tuesday afternoon, as it travels to Storrs, Conn., for the second meeting of the season with the University of Connecticut. First pitch is slated for 3 p.m. at JO Christian Field.
