LOUDONVILLE, N.Y. – The Fairfield University baseball team lost its first Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference (MAAC) series of the season by dropping both games of a doubleheader to Siena College this afternoon. The Saints took game one, 8-6, and game two by a margin of 6-5.
The Stags fall to 22-18 overall and to 11-6 in the MAAC while the Saints improve to 16-25 and 12-3 in league play.
Senior Ryan Plourde was a combined 3-for-7 one the day with a double, two walks, and two RBIs. Junior Dean Sadik also went a combined 3-for-7 with a double, two walks, and four runs scored.
Fairfield returns home to Alumni Diamond next week. The Stags will host Sacred Heart in a doubleheader on April 29 at 2pm followed by a visit from Stony Brook on April 30 at 3:30pm. Central Connecticut comes to Alumni Diamond on May 2 at 3:30pm while the two teams will face each other in a doubleheader the following day in New Britain, Conn.
Game One Recap: Fairfield rallied from five runs down late to tie the game, but Siena scored twice in the bottom of the sixth to clip the Stags, 8-6, in the seven-inning opener.
Fairfield got on the board in the top of the first inning as Sadik scored on an error. Siena got the run back in the bottom half of the inning on a sacrifice fly by Justin Esquerra. The Saints used a five-run third inning to open up a 6-1 lead.
The Stags rallied in the top of the fifth inning. Alex Witkus got things started by reaching on an error while Sadik singled. With one out, Plourde singled up the middle to score Witkus. After moving up on a wild pitch, Sadik scored on a groundball off the bat of Jake Salpietro. Sophomore Brendan Tracy followed with an RBI single to make it 6-4. After rookie Dan Hopkins walked, Sebastian Salvo delivered an RBI single to center to pull the Stags within 6-5.
With two outs in the top of the sixth, Rob LoPinto reached on an infield single. Pinch runner Michael Conti moved up to second on a wild pitch and over to third on a passed ball. Conti then scored the game-tying run on a wild pitch. The Stags continued to threaten as Plourde stole second but Siena was able to leave him stranded.
The Saints answered in the bottom of the sixth by pushing two runs across the plate. Tracy led off the seventh with a single, but Siena retired the next three batters in order for the win.
Tracy went 3-for-4 in the game with an RBI and a run scored while Salvo was 2-for-3.
Matt Quintana (1-1) picked up the win while Neil Fryer earned his fifth save of the season. Junior Tucker Panciera (4-1) took the loss while sophomore Aaron Howell received the no-decision.
Game Two Recap: Siena scored four runs in the final two innings to walk off with a 6-5 win in the night cap.
Fairfield struck first, taking a 1-0 lead in the opening frame on an RBI double by Plourde. Siena answered with two runs in the bottom of the inning to take the lead.
Both teams went scoreless until the sixth inning. That's when Witkus was hit by a pitch, stole second, and scored on a single by Sadik to tie the game. LoPinto followed with a single through the left side to plate Sadik and give the Stags the 3-2 lead. Fairfield extended its lead to 4-2 in the top of the seventh inning as Hopkins scored on a wild pitch.
Siena got to the Stags in the bottom of the eighth, scoring three runs on three hits to overtake them, 5-4. Fairfield did not back down, rallying in the top of the ninth. Jack Giannini led off with a single and later scored on a pinch-hit single by Mac Crispino to tie the game. With two outs, Conti singled to put two on for Plourde but Siena was able to get him to fly out to centerfield. In the bottom of the ninth, Siena loaded the bases with one out. John Rooney came through with a single up the middle to drive in the game-winning run.
Junior Andrew Gallagher (1-1) took the loss while sophomore Mike Wallace received the no-decision. Wallace went 7.0 innings, scattering three runs, one earned, on four hits with four strikeouts. Fryer, who saved game one, picked up the win after throwing the final 1.1 innings.
