May 1, 2004
Game 1 Box Score | Game 2 Box Score
NEW ROCHELLE, N.Y. - The Fairfield University baseball team split a Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference (MAAC) doubleheader with Iona College, at J.B. Buono Field on Saturday afternoon. Fairfield took the opener 8-4, but fell in the nightcap 1-0.
Fairfield is now 13-20 overall, and 8-9 in the MAAC, while Iona is 15-25 overall and 7-8 in the MAAC.
In the opener, Fairfield took advantage of some poor defense by the Gaels, as Iona committed five errors. The Stags took a 3-0 lead in the top of the first inning, as sophomore Doug Anderson (Randolph, N.J./Delbarton), senior Andy Lynn (Montville, N.J./Delbarton), and sophomore Tom Arpino (Brooklyn, N.Y.) each had RBI singles in the first inning. Fairfield had five singles in the first inning, en route to 16 in the game.
Iona got two of those runs back in the bottom of the first, but Fairfield added a pair in the top of the second, as senior Nick Hudyma (New Britain, Conn./New Britain) stroked a triple to right centerfield to plate senior Jim Sheridan (Carle Place, N.Y./Carle Place). Hudyma would come home, on an Anderson single.
Iona posted a run in the bottom of the fourth and fifth innings to cut the Fairfield lead to 5-4. However, in the top of the seventh, senior Mike Wray (Mahopac, N.Y./Mahopac) pushed a seeing-eye single just by the diving first baseman to bring in Arpino who had a one-out double to left.
The Stags would then added a pair of unearned runs in the eighth, on an error and a sacrifice fly by senior Antuan Barnett (Bronx, N.Y./Rice).
On the hill for the Stags, senior Tom Maisano (Farmingdale, N.Y./Chaminade) moved into third place on the school's all-time strikeout list, passing Steve Becker (1988-91), with three strikeouts in the game. Maisano (5-1) now has a 180 for his career.
The Long Island native gave up four runs, three earned on nine hits and two walks in seven innings of work. Freshman Ed Kamintzky (Astoria, N.Y./Regis) continued his stellar start to his collegiate career pitching two inning of shutout ball, recording a strikeout and a walk for the Stags.
Sophomore Jim Girolamo (Wayland, Mass./Wayland) was 3-for-5 with two runs scored for the Stags in the first game. Hudyma was 2-for-5 with a triple and three runs scored. Wray was 3-for-5.
In the nightcap, Iona's Matt Bruno ripped an RBI single in the fourth inning for the game's only run.
Both teams's had chances to put runs on the board as Iona's Dan Potockin singled up the middle, then stole second and third bases. On his attempt to steal third, the ball trickled into left field and he was called out trying to take home.
Fairfield had a scoring opportunity taken away from them as Barnett smoked a pitch to deep right field, but Rob Fortner-Villanova leaped over the fence to save the potential game-tying homerun.
Barnett was 1-for-3 in the second game, and Sheridan was 1-for-2.
The rubber-game of the three-game series will be tomorrow at 11 a.m. at J.B. Buono Field. It is moved up one hour due to the forecasted inclement weather.
