Box Score - Game Two
Box Score - Series Finale

RIVERDALE, N.Y. – The Fairfield University baseball team took two games from Manhattan College this afternoon to take the Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference (MAAC) series from the Jaspers. 

Senior Mike Bennett was a combined 4-for-8 on the day while fellow senior Jack Giannini was a combined 4-for-7, with a double, a triple, and three runs scored. 

After being delayed by rain for 21 hours, the Stags finished the second game of the series by pulling out a 3-1 victory over the Jaspers to start the day. Freshman Mike Wallace improved to 6-3 on the season, by tossing a four-hit complete game. The rookie threw all 7.0 innings, giving up just one run and walking just one batter. 

Both teams were scoreless until the fourth inning. In the top of the frame, Rob LoPinto drew a leadoff walk and later scored on a double play. The Jaspers tied it up in the bottom of the fourth inning on an RBI groundout by Brendan Slattery. With two outs in the top of the sixth inning, Ryan Plourde and Anthony Hajjar both singled. Jake Salpietro singled up the middle to score Plourde and make the score 2-1. Giannini followed with a single to right field to plate Hajjar and give the Stags the 3-1 lead. Fairfield was able to hold off Manhattan for the win. Jacob Marchus (4-3) took the loss for Manhattan (22-27; 9-12 MAAC), allowing three runs on seven hits in 5.2 innings of work.

In the second game, Fairfield (17-28; 9-12 MAAC) took an early lead that it wouldn't relinquish as the Stags went on to a 7-4 win. Fairfield took a 1-0 lead in the top of the second inning after Giannini doubled and scored on a two-out RBI single by Bennett. The Stags added two more runs in the top of the third on an RBI double by Plourde and an RBI single by Hajjar, both hits coming with two outs. Fairfield extended its lead to 5-0 with a two-run fourth inning. Manhattan got one of the runs back in the bottom of the fourth and pulled within 5-2 in the bottom of the fifth. The Jaspers made it a one-run game, 5-4, in the bottom of the seventh inning taking advantage of an error and later getting a sacrifice fly from Matt Troisi.

The Stags added a pair of insurance runs in the top of the ninth. Hajjar led off with a double and later scored on a wild pitch while Giannini was intentionally walked and then scored on a Manhattan error to make the score 7-4. In the bottom of the ninth, the Jaspers put runners at second and third with two outs, but Christian Fox thwarted Manhattan's rally to send the Stags home with a win.

Fox picked up his first save of the year, going 2.1 scoreless innings with two strikeouts. Rookie Aaron Howell improved to 3-2 on the year by scattering four runs, two earned, on five hits in 6.1 innings.

Fairfield will travel to Quinnipiac University on May 14 before closing out the season, May 16-17, at Canisius College.