May 11, 2003
FAIRFIELD, Conn. - The Fairfield University baseball team dropped an 8-5 decision to Iona College in the finale of a Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference (MAAC) series at Alumni Diamond, on a cold and gray Sunday afternoon.
With the win Iona improves to 20-22 overall and 14-9 in the MAAC, while the loss drops Fairfield to 6-32-1, 4-19 in the MAAC.
Iona broke the ice in the top of the first inning when Kevin Sorhaindo doubled to left field to bring home Rob Fortner and Travis Garcia. The Gaels would tack on a pair in the top of the third when Sorhaindo brought home Fortner with his second RBI double of the afternoon. Sorhaindo went 2-for-4 with four runs batted in and one run scored.
Fairfield would get on the board in the bottom of the third as Iona starter Brian Parish would walk the bases loaded as junior Sal Mancuso (Bethpage, N.Y./Bethpage) would single up the middle to bring home second baseman Nick Hudyma (New Britain, Conn./New Britain). Junior Jim Sheridan (Carle Place, N.Y./Carle Place) would keep the rally going with an RBI single, and freshman Doug Anderson (Randolph, N.J./Delbarton) would loft a sacrifice fly to centerfield.
The Stags would tie the game in the bottom of the fourth inning when sophomore Greg Batista (Syosset, N.Y./Syosset) singled home junior Andy Lynn (Montville, N.J./Delbarton) who doubled with two outs in the inning.
Iona would break the tie in the top of the fifth inning when Matt Callahan singled home Mike Perrone. The Gaels would add another run in the sixth with a RBI single by Fortner.
Fairfield would cut the lead to one with a run in the bottom of the seventh inning when Sheridan brought home Batista with a sacrifice fly to centerfield. But, the Gaels added a pair of insurance runs in the top of the eighth to close the books on the afternoon.
Fortner went 4-for-5 on the afternoon with two runs batted in and two runs scored to lead the Gaels at the plate. Batista went 3-for-3 with two runs scored and a run batted in for Fairfield.
Fairfield returns to action on Friday afternoon, when Manhattan College comes to Alumni Diamond for the last series of the regular season. First pitch is slated for 12 p.m.
