LAKEWOOD, N.J. – The third-seeded Fairfield University baseball team suffered their first loss of the 2014 Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference (MAAC) Baseball Championship, falling to top-seeded Canisius College, 6-2, this evening at the at FirstEnergy Park.

Sophomore Jake Salpietro notched his 18th multi-hit game of the year, going 2-for-4 with two runs scored. Freshman Mac Crispino went 2-for-4.  

Canisius (40-14) took a 1-0 lead in the bottom of the first inning. After putting runners at the corner with two outs, Aaron Howell got the ground ball he needed but the Stags defense got crossed up, allowing Connor Panas to reach and Jimmy Luppens to score. The Griffs added another run in the bottom of the second on an RBI single by Ronnie Bernick.

With two outs in the top of the fourth inning, Salpietro and Jack Giannini singled to put two runners on. Sebastian Salvo then singled up the middle to score Salpietro from second and pull the Stags within 3-1. Canisius got the run back in the bottom half of the inning on a sacrifice by Brett Siddall.

In the top of the sixth, Ryan Plourde was hit by a pitch to lead off the inning while Salpietro was walked. Salvo then reached on an error to load the bases. Billy Zolga pulled the Stags within, 4-2, with a sacrifice fly. Canisius was able to get out of the inning.

Fairfield (32-23) threatened in the top of the seventh. With one out, Dean Sadik walked while Rob LoPinto followed with a single. With two gone, Salpietro beat out a ground ball to second base with a slide into first to load the bases. Giannini battled at the plate but was narrowly thrown out at first after grounding to short to end the inning.

Canisius loaded the bases with one out in the bottom of the seventh, but rookie reliever Mike Bonaiuto got the final two outs of the inning. The Griffs, however, added two more runs in the bottom of the eighth to extend their lead to 6-2.

Howell took the loss, allowing four runs on nine hits and four walks in 6.1 innings. Alex Godzak (10-3) picked up the win, going 6.1 innings and scattering two runs, one earned, on six hits while Iannick Remillard got the save, going 2.2 scoreless inning while allowing three hits.

Fairfield will face the winner of the No. 2 Siena/No. 5 Monmouth game on Saturday, May 24.