May 13, 2003
On Deck... The Fairfield University baseball team begins its last Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference (MAAC) series of the season this Friday afternoon when Manhattan College comes to Alumni Diamond. Fairfield enters the weekend with a 6-31-1 overall record and a 4-19 mark in the MAAC.
All-Time vs. Manhattan... Fairfield holds a commanding 59-18 series with the Jaspers. Manhattan took two-of-three from the Stags at the end of last season at Van Cortlandt Park.
About Manhattan... The Jaspers enter the weekend series looking to earn a spot in the MAAC Championships. They are currently one game behind Iona for the fourth and final playoff position. Iona is 14-9 on the MAAC while Manhattan is 13-9.
Last Time Out... The Fairfield University baseball team dropped an 8-5 decision to Iona College, in the finale of a MAAC series at Alumni Diamond, on a cold and gray Sunday afternoon.
Iona broke the ice in the top of the first inning when Kevin Sorhaindo doubled to left field to bring home Rob Fortner and Travis Garcia. The Gaels would tack on a pair of runs in the top of the third when Sorhaindo brought home Fortner with his second RBI double of the afternoon. Sorhaindo finished the afternoon going 2-for-4 with four runs batted in and one run scored.
Fairfield would get on the board in the bottom of the third inning as Iona starter Brian Parish would walk the bases loaded and junior Sal Mancuso (Bethpage, N.Y./Bethpage) would single up the middle to bring home second baseman Nick Hudyma (New Britain, Conn./New Britain). Junior Jim Sheridan (Carle Place, N.Y./Carle Place) kept the rally going with an RBI single, and freshman Doug Anderson (Randolph, N.J./Delbarton) would loft a sacrifice fly to centerfield.
The Stags would tie the game in the bottom of the fourth inning when sophomore Greg Batista (Syosset, N.Y./Syosset) singled home junior Andy Lynn (Montville, N.J./Delbarton) who doubled with two outs in the inning.
Iona would break the tie in the top of the fifth inning when Matt Callahan singled home Mike Perrone. The Gaels would add another run in the sixth with an RBI single by Fortner.
Fairfield would cut the lead to one, with a run in the bottom of the seventh inning when Sheridan brought home Batista with a sacrifice fly to center. But, the Gaels added a pair of insurance runs in the top of the eighth inning to close the books on the afternoon.
Fortner went 4-for-5 on the afternoon with two runs batted in and two runs scored to lead the Gaels at the plate. Batista went 3-for-3 with two runs scored and a run batted in for the Stags.
Quick Hits... With six strikeouts against Iona last Saturday junior Tom Maisano (Farmington, N.Y./Chaminade) moved closer to trying Rob Elinskas (1994-97) for fifth place on the career strikeout list at Fairfield. Elinskas has 141 career "K's" just five ahead of Maisano... Junior Sal Mancuso (Bethpage, N.Y./Bethpage) needs only two more doubles to tie Tom Lopusznick (1998), and Mike Pike (1994) for fifth on the most doubles in a season list. Mancuso is sitting on 14, and was ranked seventh by the NCAA for doubles per game... Junior Andy Lynn (Montville, N.J./Delbarton) leads the Stags with 12 multiple hits games this season. He has nine two-hit outings and three three-hit games this season. The New Jersey native is hitting .295 heading into the weekend... Junior Antuan Barnett (Bronx, N.Y./Rice) hit his sixth homerun of the season with two outs in the bottom of the first inning in the nightcap of a doubleheader with Iona last Saturday afternoon. He is tied with Greg Batista (Syosset, N.Y./Syosset) with the team lead with six. Barnett has 37 hits on the season and 20 runs batted in this season.
Former Stag in Bridgeport... Former Fairfield University baseball player Andy Larned (1995-98) a member of the Pennsylvania Road Warriors of the Atlantic League (IND) will come back to Bridgeport this week (May 13-15) to play the Bridgeport Bluefish at the Ballpark at Harbor Yard. Larned's name is still in the Fairfield record book as he is fourth in career runs batted in with 115.
Up Next... Fairfield will close out the regular season with a nine-inning game with the Jaspers on Saturday afternoon at 12 p.m. Before the game the Stags will honor senior Paul Gorra in a short ceremony for senior day.
