May 13, 2007
POUGHKEEPSIE, N.Y. - For the second time is as many games, the Marist College baseball team produced a run in its last at bat to defeat Fairfield. This time, the Red Foxes crossed the plate on a passed ball to edge the Stags, 9-8, in 10 innings. With the loss, Fairfield falls to 15-28 on the year and 9-14 in the Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference (MAAC) while Marist improves to 18-28 overall and 12-11 in the conference.
With the game knotted 8-8 in the bottom of the tenth inning, Richard Curylo singled to centerfield to lead off for the Red Foxes and advanced to second on a sacrifice bunt. After intentionally walking Justin Lepore, rookie Mike Fournier (Fairfield, Conn.) got the ground ball he was looking for but the Stags could only get the force out at second base. With runners on first and third with two outs, a passed ball allowed Curylo to touch home and secure the win for the Stags.
Rookie Dan Urbanovich (Nutley, N.J.) took the loss after an otherwise solid relief effort. Urbanovich (0-1) went 3.1 innings allowing just two hits with two strikeouts and was credited with the unearned run. Robert Ryan (3-1) picked up the win by throwing two scoreless and hitless innings of relief with three strikeouts.
The last three innings were vastly different from the first seven as the two teams combined for 16 runs. Fairfield pounded out 17 hits on the day while Marist record 15 hits. Rookie Jason Rago (Fairfield, Conn.) finished the day 4-for-6 with two RBI and a run scored while junior Patrick Hoban (Malvern, Pa.) went 3-for-5 with an RBI. Juniors Mike Weiner (Easton, Conn.), Peter Allen (Mamaroneck, N.J.), and Brian Rudolph (Washington Twp., N.J.) each had a pair of hits on the afternoon. Weiner also had two runs scored and an RBI while Allen drove in a run.
Marist struck first putting up two runs in the bottom of the first inning. Fairfield tied the game in the top of the second inning as Matt Tiagwad (Mt. Laurel, N.J.) tripled to score Weiner and trotted home on a single by Dave Brizzolara (Norwood, N.J.). The Red Foxes responded in the bottom half of the inning by tacking three runs on the board to go head 5-2.
The Stags chipped away at the lead in the top of the third by adding a run on an RBI single by Weiner. Fairfield tied the game, 5-5, in the top of the fourth on RBI singles by Rago and Allen, but Marist would go up, 6-5, in the bottom of the frame on an RBI single by Pat Feeney.
After a scoreless fifth inning, Fairfield tied the game once again in the top of the sixth inning. With two outs, Rago singled to centerfield to plate Albie DeSimone (Pelham, N.Y.). Marist answered once again in the bottom of the inning as Ryan Gauck delivered a double down the right field line to push two runs across the plate and give the Red Foxes an 8-6 advantage.
Fairfield did not back down, tying the game in the top of the seventh inning. Weiner drew leadoff walk while Rudolph followed with a single to right field. Both runners moved up 90 feet on a wild pitch. After Bobby Hastry struck out Adam Chilelli (Garden City, N.Y.), a passed ball allowed Weiner to cross home while Rudolph advanced to third. Two batters later, Hoban singled to right center to score Rudolph.
Junior Ryan Calabrese (Wantagh, N.Y.) went just two innings in the start, giving up five runs on eight hits with two strikeouts. Sophomore Doug Ciallella (Clifton, N.J.) tossed four innings in relief, allowed three runs, one earned, on five hits.
Fairfield plays its final MAAC series at Rider on May 17-18.
