Box Score - Game One
Box Score - Game Two

FARMVILLE, Va. – The Fairfield University baseball team opened their 2013 campaign with a doubleheader sweep of Longwood University this afternoon. The Stags (2-0) recorded a four-hit shutout of the Lancers to come away with the 4-0 victory in the season opener. Fairfield then topped Longwood 6-1 in the second game of the doubleheader.
 
In his first collegiate start, sophomore Tucker Panciera threw 6.0 shutout innings, scattering three hits and two walks while striking out two batters for his first collegiate victory in the opener. In the second game, sophomore EJ Ashworth went the distance in his first victory of the year, scattering one run on five hits and a walk while fanning three batters in 7.0 innings of work.
 
In the first game of the day, Fairfield got on the board in the fourth inning. Senior Anthony Hajjar led off with a single, moved all the way over to third on a single by Ryan Plourde, and scored on a grounder by Jack Giannini to give the Stags a 1-0 lead. Sophomore Sebastian Salvo then reached on error by the shortstop which allowed Plourde to trot home from third to make the score 2-0. Longwood was able to get out of the inning without any further damage.
 
The Stags added two more in the top of the eighth inning. Sophomore Dean Sadik led off with a walk and came around to score on a double by Hajjar. After Hajjar moved to third on a wild pitch, Plourde walked and then stole second to put runners at second and third with one out. Gianinni then came through with a double to drive Hajjar and make the score 4-0. The Lancers retired the final two batters of the inning.
 
Longwood, meanwhile, had its chance in the bottom of the seventh, putting runners at second and third with one out. The Stags were able to get out of that jam while Kyle Capaldo shut the door on the Lancers in the eighth and ninth innings, allowing just one base runner after giving up a one-walk ninth.
 
In the night cap, Fairfield opened the game by pushing four runs across the plate in the top of the first inning. Plourde drew a bases loaded walk to force in a run and start the scoring for the Stags. With one out, junior Rob LoPinto crossed the plate on a wild pitch to make it 2-0. Rookie Keith Skinner followed with a two-RBI single to give Fairfield a 4-0 advantage. Longwood was able to retire the final two batters to get out of the inning.
 
The Stags added another run in the top of the second inning on an RBI groundout by LoPinto. Longwood got on the board in the bottom of the third inning, but the Stags got the run back in the top of the fifth as LoPinto scored on a single by Giannini.
 
Hajjar was a combined 3-for-8 on the day with three runs scored while Giannini was a combined 3-for-7 with three RBI. Sophomore Alex Witkus was also a combined 3-for-7 with two doubles.
 
Fairfield and Longwood (1-2) close out the series tomorrow, February 23, with a single game at 1pm.