LAKEWOOD, N.J. – The third-seeded Fairfield University baseball team fell to second-seeded Siena College, 4-3, to end their run at the 2014 Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference (MAAC) Baseball Championship this evening at FirstEnergy Park. Fairfield finishes the year at 32-24 marking their best season in program history.
In his final game as a Stag, senior Ryan Plourde went 3-for-4 with a walk, a run scored, an RBI, and two stolen bases. Plourde was later named to the MAAC Baseball Championship All-Tournament team after batting .467 (7-for-15) with two runs, an RBI, two stolen bases, and an on-base percentage of .600. Plourde walked three times and was hit by two pitches.
Three Stags – juniors Billy Zolga, Dean Sadik, and Sebastian Salvo – each had two-hit games. Salvo extended his hitting streak to seven games. Sophomore Brendan Tracy walked three times.
Freshman Kyle Dube got into a jam in the bottom of the first inning, loading the bases with one out. Brian Fay put the Saints on the board with a sacrifice fly for the 1-0 lead. Siena loaded the bases once more but Dube was able to get out of the inning.
Fairfield threatened in the top of the second, putting two on with two outs after Tracy and Zolga drew back-to-back walks. Siena was able to hold off the Stags and get out of the inning. The Saints struck again in the bottom of the second. With two outs, Vinny Citro singled, stole second, and scored on a double by Mike Allen. Justin Esquerra followed with a blooper to short center to score Allen and extend the lead to 3-0. Senior Christian Fox came on in relief and shutdown the Saints for the next four innings.
Fairfield rallied in the top of the fifth inning. Sadik was hit by a pitch to lead off the inning while Rob LoPinto followed with a single. A single to the gap in right center by Plourde scored Sadik for the Stags' first run of the day. With runners on the corners, a passed ball allowed LoPinto to score and pull Fairfield within 3-2. After issuing a walk to Jake Salpietro, Siena got the next three batters to end the Fairfield threat.
The Stags tied it up in the top of the seventh with two outs. Plourde singled to right field and moved all the way over to third on a wild pitch that rolled to the backstop. Plourde then scored on a double to left center by Salvo to tie the game. Jack Giannini was then hit by a pitch to end Matt Quintana's day. Tracy drew a walk off reliever Neil Fryer but the Saints got Zolga to pop up to end the inning.
The Saints answered in the bottom of the seventh inning. With one out, Citro walked and scored on a double by Allen. That would prove to be the game-winner.
Fox took the loss, despite going 4.1 innings, allowing one run on four hits with two strikeouts. Dube went 2.0 innings, allowing three runs on five hits and two walks in the no-decision. Joe Randall went 1.2 innings in relief, holding Siena to a hit.
LoPinto picked up a hit in his fourth consecutive game. The senior appeared in 51 games, starting 49 of those contests, in his final season. He picked up 46 hits and scored 24 runs. For his career, LoPinto appeared in 123 games and recorded 113 hits, scored 67 runs, and drove in 44 runs. Giannini reached base in his ninth consecutive game. In his final season, Giannini appeared in 54 games with 49 starts, and posted 41 hits, drove in 23 runs, and scored 21 runs. For his career, he appeared in 165 games and recorded 150 hits, 79 RBIs, and 68 runs scored.
Plourde, who started in all 56 games, finishes the season with a career-best 66 hits, including 18 multi-hit games, and 45 runs scored. He batted .346 with 30 RBIs, 39 walks, the second-highest single season total, and reached base safely in each of his final 33 games. Plourde played in and started the most games ever by a Stag, checking into 203 and starting 197, including 157 consecutive games and 155 consecutive starts to finish his career. He leaves the program ranked in the top-15 in almost every category possible. He stands fourth all-time in hits (224), third in runs scored (139), third in at-bats (694), first in triples (11), second in walks (121), fifth in total bases (324), sixth in RBIs (117), seventh in on-base percentage (.435), tied for tenth in doubles (36), tied for 12th in batting average (.323), and fifth in fielding percentage (.986). Plourde is also one the most decorated Stags in program history. He's a three-time All-MAAC honoree after being named to the All-MAAC First Team for the second consecutive season in 2014 and is the only two-time Preseason All-MAAC selection in program history. Plourde is also only the second Stag to be named to the NEIBA First Team twice.
