April 28, 2007
FAIRFIELD, Conn. - The Fairfield University baseball team dropped a pair of close Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference (MAAC) games this afternoon falling to Siena, 9-7 and 4-2, respectively at Alumni Diamond. With the losses, the Stags fall to 10-24 overall and 6-10 in the MAAC while the Saints improve to 7-26 on the season and 5-8 in the conference.
Fairfield's five-run eighth inning rally fell short in game one as the Stags were edged, 9-7. Trailing 9-2 entering the frame, junior Peter Allen (Mamaroneck, N.Y.) led off with a home run that wrapped around the leftfield foul pole to spark the rally. After Espinosa was hit by a pitch, Brian Rudolph (Washington, Twp., N.J.) and David Dudish (Olney, Md.) each singled to load the bases. Rookie Jason Rago (Fairfield, Conn.) then stepped to the plate and singled over the third baseman's head to drive in two runs and pull Fairfield within 9-5. After Adam Chilelli (Garden City, N.Y.) reached on a fielder's choice, Albie DeSimone (Pelham, N.Y.) singled to left centerfield to plate Dudish. Freshman Matt Tiagwad (Mt. Laurel, N.J.) then singled through the left side to score Chilelli. That would be all the runs Fairfield would get as Siena's Will Hassett struck out the last five batters of the game.
Fairfield opened the scoring in the bottom of the first inning as DeSimone crossed the plate on a Siena error. Rudolph then doubled to leftfield to score Allen and give Fairfield a 2-0 lead. The Saints, however, put up three runs in the top of the second to pull ahead to stay. Siena added two runs in the top of the fourth and put up a four spot in the top of the seventh.
Junior Ryan Calabrese (Wantagh, N.Y.) took the loss for the Stags giving up five runs, three earned, on seven hits in 3.2 innings of work. Will Chaput picked up the win for the Saints going seven innings and giving up seven runs, five earned, on nine hits with four strikeouts. Hassett earned the save allowing three hits and striking out five batters in two innings of work.
Siena did not waste any time in game two opening up a 2-0 lead in the first inning off of rookie hurler Rob Gariano (Nutley, N.J.). The Saints added two more runs in the top of the fourth inning to take a 4-0 lead. The Stags did not back down as they put up two runs of their own in the bottom of the fifth inning. With runners on second and third with one out, junior Pat Hoban (Malvern, Pa.) singled to right centerfield to plate Dave Jermine (North Haven, Conn.). Tiagwad followed with a single to shortstop to DeSimone and pull the Stags within 4-2. Fairfield would threaten again in the bottom of the seventh inning, placing runners on first and second with one out but the Stags could not push a run across the plate.
Gariano took the loss, going five innings allowing four runs, two earned, on six hits. Freshman Dan Urbanovich (Nutley, N.J.) pitch two-thirds of inning giving up one hit, while rookie Mike Fournier (Fairfield, Conn.) tossed 1.1 innings of hitless relief with two strikeouts. The Saints' Matt Moberg was solid in the win allowing two runs on eight hits with two strikeouts in 6.1 innings of work. James Pacifico earned the save throwing two-thirds of hitless ball in relief.
Urbanovich also pitched one inning of relief in game one giving up just one hit along with a strikeout. The southpaw has not given up an earned run in his last nine appearances.
Fairfield wraps up the series with Siena tomorrow, April 29, at Alumni Diamond.
