Baseball Downs Iona 9-1 to Win MAAC Series

NEW ROCHELLE, N.Y. – The Fairfield University baseball team downed Iona College, 9-1, to win its first Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference (MAAC) series of the season. Sophomore Mike Wallace went 8.0 innings, fanning seven batters, while classmates Jake Salpietro and Brendan Tracy had three hits apiece.

Wallace (1-3) scattered a run on five hits and a walk over his eight innings of work. He allowed just two base runners after the fourth inning, neither of which went beyond first base. Junior Jeremy Soule tossed a scoreless ninth inning, striking out two of the four batters he faced.

Salpietro went 3-for-6 with a double and four RBIs while Tracy went 3-for-5 with a run batted in. Three other Stags –Rob LoPinto, Alex Witkus, and Sal Ciccone – had two-hit days. Senior Ryan Plourde went 1-for-3 with three walks, two runs scored, and one driven in.

Fairfield (6-10; 2-1 MAAC) got on the board in the top of the first inning as Plourde drew a two-out walk and later scored on an Iona error. The Stags added a pair of runs in the top of the third inning on a single by Salpietro which made it 3-0.

Iona (2-11; 1-2 MAAC) scored its only run of the day in the fourth inning on a two-out single by Joe Smith. The Stags scored twice in the top of the seventh inning on RBI singles by Tracy and LoPinto to extend the lead to 5-1. A RBI single by Sebastian Salvo in the eighth inning accounted for Fairfield's sixth run of the day.

The Stags offense wasn't done as they scored three times in the top of the ninth inning. With one out, Fairfield loaded the bases while Plourde walked to force in a run. Salpietro followed with a double down the left field line to plate Witkus and pinch runner Michael Conti to make it 9-1.

Bill Maier (0-3) took the loss for Iona, allowing four runs, three earned, on eight hits in 6.1 innings.

Fairfield is back in action on March 25 at Seton Hall and March 26 at Hartford. The Stags resume MAAC play, March 29-30, at Saint Peter's.

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