Box Score

NEW BRITAIN, Conn.  – The Fairfield University baseball team snapped a six-game skid by topping Central Connecticut State University, 12-4, this afternoon in non-league action. Fairfield pounded out 12 hits with four Stags recording multi-hit games, including rookie Keith Skinner who went 3-for-4 with a double and three runs scored.
 
Freshman Jake Salpietro extended his hitting streak to 11 games, hit his first collegiate homerun, and finished the day 2-for-5 with two RBI and two runs scored. Junior Ryan Plourde went 2-for-4 with a triple, a double, a sacrifice fly, two runs scored, and two driven in. Sophomore Alex Witkus went 2-for-3, was plunked twice, drew a walk, scored two runs, and had one RBI.
 
Sophomore Tucker Panciera (2-2) scattered four runs, three earned, on six hits and a walk while striking out two batters to earn his second victory of the year. Sophomore Anthony DiMauro tossed three scoreless innings of relief allowing just one hit while junior Christian Fox closed out the ninth by retiring the Blue Devils in order.
 
Witkus led the game off with a single and later scored on a triple by Plourde to give Fairfield the 1-0 lead. Plourde then made it 2-0 by crossing the plate on a sacrifice fly by senior Anthony Hajjar. Central Connecticut (18-19) quickly tied up in the bottom half of the inning on back-to-back RBI doubles by Jeff Osak and JP Sportman.
 
The Stags loaded the bases with no outs in the top of the second inning. A blooper by sophomore Sal Ciccone put the Stags ahead, 3-2, while Witkus was hit by a pitch to force in a run and make it 4-2. Fairfield added another run on a fielder's choice by Rob LoPinto while Plourde followed with a sacrifice  fly to make it 6-2. With the bases loaded and two outs in the top of the fourth inning, Hajjar sliced a single through the right side to plate two runs and extend Fairfield's lead to 8-2.
 
Salpietro hit his first collegiate homerun in the top of the fifth, a two-run dinger that sailed over the leftfield fence to make the score 10-2. The Blue Devils got both runs back in the bottom of the fifth on sacrifice flies by Sportman and Josh Ingham.
 
Fairfield built its lead back to seven runs, 11-4, on an RBI groundout by Ciccone which plated Skinne in the seventh inning. The Stags added another run in the top of the eighth inning this time on an RBI groundout by Jack Giannini which scored Plourde.

Hajjar was 1-for-4 with three RBI while Ciccone went 1-for-4 with a walk, two runs scored, and two RBI.
 
Fairfield (11-23) returns to action this weekend when it hosts Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference (MAAC) foe Niagara University at Alumni Diamond. The two teams will play a doubleheader on April 27 beginning at 12pm followed by a single game on April 28 at 12pm.