May 16, 2003
FAIRFIELD, Conn. - Junior Sal Mancuso (Bethpage, N.Y./Bethpage) and junior Antuan Barnett (Bronx, N.Y./Rice) each had a homerun, and starter Tom Maisano (Farmington, N.Y./Chaminade) pitched seven innings of two run ball, as the Fairfield University baseball team beat Manhattan College 4-3, in the first game of a Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference (MAAC) doubleheader Friday afternoon, at Alumni Diamond. Manhattan took the nightcap 11-5.
Fairfield (7-33-1, 5-20 MAAC) broke the ice in the first game, when Mancuso took a Manhattan starter Ryan Darcy delivery over the left field fence, in the bottom of the second inning.
The Stags then went to work in the bottom of the fourth inning started off by Barnett's homerun just inside the leftfield foul pole. Freshman Doug Anderson (Randolph, N.J./Delbarton) singled through the left side, and was brought home by a junior Jim Sheridan (Carle Place, N.Y./Carle Place) double to left field. After advancing to third base on a wild pitch, Sheridan would be brought home with an RBI single from catcher Mike Wray (Mahopac, N.Y./Mahopac).
Maisano was in control early, but got into a little bit of trouble in the top of the seventh inning. With one out and runners on second and third, Manhattan's (24-24, 14-10 MAAC) Gary Diaz singled up the middle to clear the bases. Maisano would scatter two runs on eight hits and three walks. He struck out four on the afternoon.
Manhattan would get to Fairfield reliever Pat Quinn (Little Falls, N.J./Passaic Valley) for a run in the top of the ninth inning with a sacrifice fly by Jonathan Holzer. The Jaspers would load the bases, and Fairfield Head Coach John Slosar brought in closer Matt Thiffault (Natick, Mass./Natick) to shut the door. Thiffault would get Eric Fierro to ground into a fielder's choice getting John Maser at the plate for the second out of the inning. Fierro would be the final out of the game when Chris Gaskin grounded into a fielder's choice.
In the nightcap, Manhattan would score one run in the first inning four in the fourth, one in the fifth, one in the sixth, and four in the seventh for the win.
The Stags received some offensive production from junior Nick Hudyma (New Britain, Conn./New Britain) who went 2-for-4 with a homerun and a double. Mancuso would hit is second homerun on the afternoon with a two-run shot to left centerfield in the bottom of the fourth inning. Four of Fairfield's 13 hits and six of its runs in the doubleheader would come off the long ball.
The two teams conclude the three-game MAAC series on Saturday afternoon, at Alumni Diamond. Before the game the Stags will have a short ceremony to honor its lone senior, Paul Gorra. First pitch for the nine-inning game is slated for 12 p.m.
