Box Score

NEWARK, N.J. – The Fairfield University baseball team unleashed their offense on NJIT downing the Highlanders, 19-4, this evening at Bears and Eagles Riverfront Stadium. Every Stag in the starting line-up had at least one hit on the day and all but one scored at least one run for their highest offensive output of the season.
 
Sophomore Rob LoPinto went 4-for-6 on the day with four RBI and four runs scored while junior Anthony Hajjar went 4-for-5 with a triple, two doubles, five RBI and two runs scored. Sophomore Ryan Plourde went 2-for-5 with a home run, two RBI, and two runs scored.
 
Rookie Dean Sadik went 2-for-5 with a home run and three RBI while Mike Bennett went 2-for-4 with two RBI and two runs scored. Larry Cornelia also had a multi-hit day, finishing 2-for-5 with three runs scored, two batted in, and a stolen base, his 25th of the season.
 
The Stags (25-25) got on the board in the top of the second inning as Sadik drew a walk and later scored on a single to right field by LoPinto. Senior Mark Skrapits, who singled up the middle earlier in the inning, scored on a wild pitch while LoPinto advanced two bases on the play. Cornelia made it 3-0 with a sacrifice fly that scored LoPinto.
 
Bennett pushed the Stags' lead to 5-0 in the top of the fifth inning with a two-run single to right field. Fairfield would load the bases with no outs for LoPinto who promptly delivered a double to the left field fence to drive in a pair of runs. With two outs and two runners on, Hajjar tripled to right centerfield to extend the lead to 9-0. Hajjar became the seventh Stag to cross the plate in the inning scoring on an error for the 10-0 advantage.
 
LoPinto continued to swing a hot bat in the top of the fourth driving in Bennett on a double to right center with two outs. LoPinto then scored on a double to the right field corner by Cornelia.
 
Freshman starter Jeremy Soule took a no-hitter into the fourth inning but the Highlanders' Matt Weckerle broke it up with a one-out single. With two on and two outs, an error by the Stags led to NJIT's first run of the night.
 
Fairfield got the run back and then some in the top of the fifth on a two-run home run by Plourde. With one out and the bases loaded in the top of the sixth, Hajjar doubled off the leftfield wall to drive in a pair of runs and make the score 16-1. Pinch hitter Nick Piccirillo added another run with a two-out single for the 17-1 lead.
 
NJIT did not pick up its second hit of the night until the bottom of the sixth on a triple by Weckerle who later scored on a sacrifice fly. The Highlanders added another run on a two-out single by Tom Bouck.
 
Sadik led off the seventh inning with his first collegiate homer, sending it over the left field fence. A two out ground-rule double off the bat of Hajjar accounted for the Stags' 19th run of the night.
 
Soule (4-3) picked up the victory, going 4.0 innings and holding the Highlanders to an unearned run on one hit and two walks. Freshman Ian Tresser tossed an inning of scoreless relief, striking out one batter. Freshman Chris Kalica saw one inning of relief while freshman Tucker Panciera threw an inning of scoreless relief. Sophomore Andrew VanEyck tossed the eighth inning while Christian Fox closed out the ninth.
 
Fairfield closes out the 2012 regular season, May 17-18, by hosting Marist College in a three-game series at Alumni Diamond. The two teams will play a single game on Thursday at 1pm and finish up on Friday with a doubleheader beginning at 12pm on Senior Day. The Stags need to win just one game against the Red Foxes to clinch the fourth and final spot in the 2012 MAAC Tournament.