Box Score

FAIRFIELD, Conn. – For the first time in more than a decade, the Fairfield University Stags will be making an appearance in the Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference (MAAC) Baseball Tournament. Fairfield topped Marist College, 1-0, this afternoon at Alumni Diamond, thus eliminating the Red Foxes from postseason contention and securing their spot in the tournament.
 
Rookie starter EJ Ashworth and junior Kyle Capaldo combined for a five-hit shutout of the Red Foxes. Junior Anthony Hajjar drove in the lone run of the game to extend Fairfield's winning streak to five games.
 
Needing to take one game of the three-game series with Marist, first year Head Coach Bill Currier turned the ball over to Ashworth in the series opener who rose to the challenge. Ashworth (5-6) went 6.2 innings, fanning a career-high seven batters, while scattering four hits and two walks. Capaldo, meanwhile, notched his fourth save of the season, allowing just one hit in 2.1 scoreless innings of relief.
 
After getting out of a bases loaded jam in the second inning, Ashworth retired seven of the next eight batters he faced. Marist starter Brett Houseal (4-6) was equally as commanding, keeping the Fairfield offense at bay until the sixth inning.
 
In the bottom of the sixth, freshman Dean Sadik singled up the middle with one out. Senior Larry Cornelia and freshman Alex Witkus followed with singles of their own to load the bases. A fielder's choice on a ground ball off the bat of Hajjar forced in Sadik and accounted for the only run of the game.
 
Marist (24-25; 10-11 MAAC) threatened in the seventh inning but stranded two runners. The Red Foxes threatened again in the top of the ninth, putting two runners on with one out, but Capaldo was able to get back-to-back fly ball outs to end the game.   

Sadik finished the day 2-for-3 while Cornelia was 2-for-4. 
 
The Stags (26-25; 13-9 MAAC) picked up their 26th victory of the season, tying the program record for wins. The 2000 squad, the last team to qualify for the MAAC Tournament, went 26-20 that year.
 
The 2012 MAAC Tournament will be May 24-27 at Joseph Bruno Stadium in Troy, N.Y. Manhattan College, Canisius College, and Rider University also qualified for the postseason tournament. For more information about the event, visit MAAC Tournament Central.
 
Fairfield and Marist will close out the regular season tomorrow, May 18, with a doubleheader at 12pm. Prior to first pitch, the Stags will honor its Senior Class in a pregame ceremony.