May 12, 2007
POUGHKEEPSIE, N.Y. - The Fairfield University baseball team split a doubleheader with Marist College this afternoon in Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference (MAAC) action. The Stags (15-27, 9-13 MAAC) took the first game by a score of 5-2. In the nightcap, Fairfield's final inning rally fell short as the Red Foxes (17-28, 11-11 MAAC) took the game, 4-3.
Catcher Mike Weiner (Easton, Conn.) had a solid day at the plate, going a combined 4-for-7 with a run scored. Meanwhile, junior Peter Allen (Mamaroneck, N.J.) tied Fairfield's single season record for doubles in game two with his 20th two-bagger of the year, tying Mike Pike's mark set in 1996.
Senior Ed Kamintzky (Astoria, N.Y.) earned the win in game one, throwing a complete game, allowing just two earned runs on 11 hits while striking out seven batters. The victory was the 16th of his career which ties him for fourth all-time. He also moved closer to breaking Keefe Cato's record for career innings pitched. Kamintzky has tossed 249.2 innings and is approaching Cato's mark of 252.0. With his strikeouts, he brought his career total to 206.
Juniors Albie DeSimone (Pelham, N.Y.) and Brian Rudolph (Washington Twp., N.J.) were instrumental in Fairfield's first game success. DeSimone went 3-for-5 with two RBI while Rudolph went 3-for-4 with three runs scored and two RBI in game one.
Fairfield got on the board first in the top of the second inning as junior Patrick Hoban (Malvern, Pa.) singled home Rudolph. Marist tied the game up in the bottom of the third stanza on an RBI single by Justin Lepore. Rudolph gave the Stags a 2-1 advantage in the top of the fourth inning with a solo homerun. Three batters later, DeSimone was able to plate Dave Brizzolara (Norwood, N.J.) with a single to right field to give Fairfield a 3-1 lead. Marist got one of the runs back in the bottom half of the inning to pull within 3-2. The Stags added two runs in the top of the eighth to put the game out of reach. Allen was hit by a pitch to start the frame. Weiner followed with a single to center field while Rudolph singled to left field to drive in Allen. With two outs, DeSimone beat out a single to the shortstop to allow Rudolph to touch home safely.
Marist jumped out to a 3-0 lead in game two plating all three runs in the bottom of the second inning off of rookie Rob Gariano (Nutley, N.J.). Both teams would go scoreless until the seventh inning. Rookie Jason Rago (Fairfield, Conn.) started things off with a single to first base. Allen followed with his historic double to right field. Weiner then stepped to the plate and singled to score Rago from third. With two outs and the bases loaded, Hoban singled to right center to drive in Allen and pinch runner Bill Rafferty (Schenectady, N.Y.). Erik Supplee was able to stop the rally getting DeSimone to pop out to left. In the bottom half of the inning, rookie Mike Fournier (Fairfield, Conn.) seemed to be cruising, retiring the first two batters. After walking Keith Glasser, senior Travis Musolf doubled to right field to score Glasser.
Gariano received the no-decision going six innings allowing three runs on five hits with three strikeouts. Supplee tossed a complete game for the Red Foxes, allowing three runs on six hits with three strikeouts.
Fairfield plays its final MAAC series at Rider on May 17-18.
