Box Score

BRIDGEPORT, Conn.  – The Fairfield University baseball team pounded out 15 hits as the Stags topped cross-town rivals Sacred Heart University, 10-5, at the Ballpark at Harbor Yard.
 
Junior Jack Giannini, senior Larry Cornelia, and sophomore Ryan Plourde each had three-hit afternoons. Giannini was 3-for-5 with two run scored and an RBI while Cornelia went 3-for-6 with two runs scored. Plourde finished 3-for-5 with two RBI and two runs scored.
 
Cornelia began the game with a double to deep left center and scored on an RBI groundout by Tyler Wosleger. Giannini led off the second inning with a single while Sebastian Salvo followed with a walk. With two outs, Cornelia dropped a single in to left field to plate Giannini and give Fairfield the 2-0 lead. Wosleger tripled to left center to start the third inning and scored on an RBI single by Plourde. Salvo made it 4-0 scoring Plourde with a two-out single to left field.
 
Sacred Heart (14-26) got on the board in the bottom of the fourth inning as Billy McDonough scored on passed ball. The Pioneers added another run on a RBI groundout by Dave Boisture. Fairfield got the runs back in the top of the fifth. Anthony Hajjar led off with a single, advanced to second on a wild pitch, and then scored on a single by Giannini. Mark Skrapits made it 6-2 with a double off the left field wall to plate Giannini.
 
McDonough cut the lead in half in the bottom of the fifth with a sacrifice fly. John Murphy pulled the Pioneers within 6-4 with a triple to centerfield. Murphy then scored on a two-single by Dan Perez to make the score 6-5.
 
Fairfield (18-20) kept the Pioneers in check over the sixth and seventh innings as Kyle Capaldo came on in the bottom of the sixth and struck out the side. He then retired Sacred Heart in order in the bottom of the seventh.
 
Cornelia bunted for a base hit to start a crucial eighth inning rally. Cornelia scored one-out single by Plourde to make the score 7-5. With the bases loaded and two outs, Salvo worked the count full and drew a walk to force in a run and put the Stags ahead 8-5. Skrapits gave Fairfield a five-run advantage with a two-run single to left field.
 
Capaldo struck out leadoff man in the eighth for his fifth strikeout of the game. Sacred Heart was able to put two runners on but left the stranded as Capaldo got out of the inning. In the ninth inning, Capaldo struck out two of the four batters he faced to end the game.
 
Capaldo picked up his first save of the season after fanning a career-high eight batters in 4.0 innings of scoreless relief. Rookie Jeremy Soule improved to 3-2 on the season after going 5.0 innings, scattering five runs, four earned, on five hits with four strikeouts for the victory.

Skrapits went 2-for-4 with three RBI on the day while Salvo was 1-for-2 with three walks and two RBI.

 
Fairfield returns home tomorrow, April 25, to host Stony Brook University. First pitch is slated for 3:30pm at Alumni Diamond.