April 3, 1999
Fairfield, Conn. - The Fairfield University Stag baseball team collected 34 hits, including seven home runs in two games as they swept visiting Manhattan College this afternoon in a Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference (MAAC) doubleheader. The Stags took the opener 10-2 and completed the sweep with a 17-5 victory in the nightcap. Fairfield improves to 10-12 overall and 4-4 in the MAAC. Manhattan falls to 9-16 overall and 2-6 in league play.
The Stags scored early and often in game one, posting a pair of runs in each of the first three innings to build a 6-0 lead. After the Jaspers scored two unearned runs in the top of the fifth to cut the lead to 6-2, Fairfield answered with four more runs, two coming on Cristian Jung's (Brewster, NY) second home run of the game. Jung finished the game 3-for-3 with four RBI, three runs scored and added a stolen base. Stag pitcher Steve Colcord (3-2, North Hampton, NH) picked up the complete game victory as he scattered five hits and allowed no earned runs for the second straight start. Center fielder Jim Lopusznick (Leonardo, NJ) went 3-for-5, including his first home run of the season. Left fielder Matt Fratturelli (Leominster, MA) also finished game one going 3-for-3 with two doubles and two RBI.
The Stag bats continued to stay hot in the second game as they racked up a season-high 20 hits. Fairfield scored in the bottom of the first on an RBI single by Tom Lopusznick (Leonardo, NJ) to take a 1-0 lead. Manhattan tied the game at 1-1 in the top of the third, but Fairfield answered with three runs in the bottom half of the inning to pull ahead 4-1. Manhattan cut the lead to 4-2 in the top of the fourth before the Stags broke out with two more runs in the bottom of the fourth and five in the fifth inning to take an 11-2 lead. Manhattan rallied for three runs in the sixth, but the Stags nailed the victory down with six more runs in the bottom half of the sixth. Tom Lopusznick finished the game 4-for-5 with six RBI and his team-leading fifth home run of the season. Cristian Jung added his third home run of the day as he went 3-for-4. Jim Lopusznick was a perfect 3-for-3 with four RBI and Kevin Toohill (Pompton Plains, NJ) was a perfect 4-for-4 with two RBI and three runs scored. Stag pitcher Ryan Holsten (3-0, Wilmington, Del.) kept his record perfect, scattering six hits and allowing five runs.
Jung finished the day 6-for-7 with seven RBI and five runs scored. Jim Lopusznick was 6-for-8 with five RBI and Matt Fratturelli collected five hits in six at bats, driving in three. The Stags and Jaspers will meet again in another MAAC doubleheader on Monday at 12 noon.
