Baseball Splits Doubleheader at Richmond

RICHMOND, Va. – The Fairfield University baseball team split a doubleheader at the University of Richmond this afternoon. After falling 13-2 in the opener, the Stags forged a 6-2 win in the second game for their first victory of the year.

Sophomore Jake Salpietro went a combined 3-for-8 on the day. In the second game of the doubleheader, Salpietro was a triple short of the cycle, going 3-for-5 with three runs scored and one driven in.

Fairfield (1-3) and Richmond (1-8) will finish up the series tomorrow, March 2, at 1pm.

Game One Recap - Box Score

Fairfield got on the board in the top of the first inning. Richmond starter Jonathan De Marte struck Alex Witkus out, but the speedy junior was able to reach on a passed ball. Witkus later scored on a single by Ryan Plourde to make it 1-0.

Richmond used a five-run second inning to pull away from the Stags. The Spiders added another run in the third inning, put up four runs in the fourth inning, and moved out to a 12-1 lead after a two-run fifth inning. The Spiders scored their 13th run of the day in the bottom of the seventh. Fairfield was held to just two hits between the second and eighth innings. In the top of the ninth, rookie Dan Hopkins reached on an error and later scored on a two-out double by Dean Sadik.

De Marte (1-1) went 5.0 innings, allowing an unearned run on two hits and four walks while striking out three. Dylan Stoops picked up the save after tossing 4.0 innings of relief and holding the Stags to an unearned run on two hits with three strikeouts. Sophomore Mike Wallace (0-2) took the loss, allowing 10 runs, eight earned, on 10 hits in 3.1 innings.

Game Two Recap - Box Score

Junior EJ Ashworth was almost untouchable on the mound for the Stags, retiring the first eight batters of the game. He allowed one hit and one walk through the first five innings he pitched. Ashworth (1-1) eventually picked up the win, going 7.0 innings and scattering two runs on four hits with six strikeouts.

Fairfield got on the board in the top of the fourth inning. With one out, Salpietro singled, stole second, and then scored on a double by Sebastian Salvo. After Salvo advanced to third on a wild pitch, Hopkins drew a walk. Junior Billy Zolga followed with a single to center to plate Salvo and make it 2-0. Richmond was able to get the final two outs of the inning. In the top of the sixth, Salpietro led off with a double and scored on a two-out single by Zolga to make it 3-0. Richmond got two of the runs back in bottom of the sixth to pull within 3-2.

In the top of the eighth, the Stags received homers from Salpietro and Hopkins to make the score 5-2. The homer was the first collegiate hit for Hopkins. Fairfield kept their bats going in the top of the ninth. With one out and the bases loaded, a sacrifice fly by Plourde made it 6-2. Junior Tucker Panciera retired the Spiders in the bottom of the inning to preserve the win.

Panciera tossed the final two innings of the game, allowing just one walk while fanning three batters for his first save of the year. Zach Grossfeld took the loss, giving up two runs on five hits in 4.0 innings.

Zolga, Salvo, and senior Rob LoPinto each had two-hit games.

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