May 20, 2005
Game 1 Box Score | Game 2 Box Score
FAIRFIELD, Conn. - Senior Tim Dugan (Cedar Grove, N.J./Seton Hall Prep) earned his seventh victory of the season, and 13th of his career in his final start, in the first game of a Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference (MAAC) doubleheader against Manhattan College, Friday afternoon at Alumni Diamond. Dugan pitched a complete-game, allowing two runs on nine hits while striking out eight, leading Fairfield to a 9-2 win in the first game of the afternoon. Manhattan took the nightcap, 7-1.
Dugan (7-4) finishes his collegiate career, third on Fairfield's all-time strikeout list with 189, as he trails only Mike Beaudoin (1976-79) who is in second with 195, and Keefe Cato (1977-79) who leads all Fairfield pitchers with 239.
Fairfield (15-32, 13-13 MAAC) scored the first run of the afternoon off a sacrifice-fly from junior Tom Arpino (Brooklyn, N.Y./Xaverian) to bring home junior Jim Girolamo (Wayland, Mass./Wayland), who singled, and went to third on a junior John Scaife (Ansonia, Conn./Ansonia) base hit.
The Stags added another run in the bottom of the second inning, as freshman Albie DeSimone (Pelham, N.Y./Pelham Memorial) laced a single to reel in senior David Soucy (Glastonbury, Conn./Glastonbury) from second base, after reaching on a fielder's choice, and moving to second on a single by freshman Tyler Birrittella (Tarrytown, N.Y./Sleepy Hollow).
Manhattan (26-19, 14-8) scratched a run on the board in the top of the third inning when Nick Derba lofted a sacrifice-fly, scoring Matt Nevins, who singled, and advanced to third on a base hit, and a walk.
In the home half of the third, Arpino smacked his fifth homerun of the season, giving the Stags a 3-1 lead.
Fairfield would add two more runs in the bottom of the sixth inning, as Sciafe drew a one-out walk with the bases loaded, scoring Birrittella, and then with the bases still loaded, senior Mark Geanuleas (Glenside, Pa./Academy of the New Church) scored on a wild pitch.
In the bottom of the eighth, Fairfield pushed four runs across to make it 9-2. Freshman Brian Rudolph's (Washington Township, N.J./Bergen Catholic) fly ball with the bases loaded plated Geanuleas, and then Soucy singled up the middle, scored Arpino and Girolamo, which chased Manhattan reliever Kyle Wirtz. After the pitching change, Birrittella reached base for the fifth time, when the Manhattan third baseman mishandled a groundball. This allowed Fairfield third baseman, Dewey Raymond (Norwalk, Conn./Trinity Catholic) to score.
Birrittella finished the first game, 3-for-4 with a walk and a run scored, while Soucy was 2-for-5 with two runs batted in and a run scored. Girolamo and Geanuleas each collected a pair of hits, and scored two runs.
In the nightcap, Fairfield scored the first run of the game, but Manhattan scored seven unanswered runs to gain a split in the doubleheader.
Geanuleas led the bottom of the first inning, of the nightcap with a single to left centerfield. He then moved up 90-feet, after Scaife laced a single to right field. After Arpino stuck out, junior Doug Anderson ripped a base hit to right, to bring in Geanuleas from second.
From that point on, Manhattan's Steve Bronder settled down, and kept the Stag bats in check. He earned his sixth win of the season, allowing only one run on five hits, while striking out 10 Stags.
Fairfield starter Steve Tyburski (Feasterville, Pa./Holy Ghost Prep) struggled, as he was touched to six runs on nine hits in four innings. Sophomore reliever Michael Colucci (Pelham, N.Y./St. Peter's Prep) pitched well in relief, giving up one run on four hits and a walk. He also struck out four batters.
Geanuleas led Fairfield at the plate, going 2-for-3 with a run scored.
The teams will conclude the final MAAC series of the season, on Saturday afternoon. Before the scheduled first pitch of 12 p.m., Fairfield will honor its three graduating seniors, Dugan, Geanuleas, and Soucy, in a short ceremony.
With a win in tomorrow's game, Fairfield will have a chance to finish above the .500 mark in the MAAC for the first time since the 2001 season, when it went 14-13.
