FAIRFIELD, Conn. – Playing in a weekday game gives your starters an opportunity to show what they can do to help the squad. Today, against Atlantic-10 Fordham, the Stags' irregulars took that opportunity and gave the Stags a lift. As a team, Fairfield capitalized on almost every chance, getting the clutch hitting and pitching that they have needed all season long in defeating their Jesuit rival Fordham, 6-4.

“We had some good swings with men on base,” Head Coach Bill Currier said. “That is what we have been looking; for the hitters to come through with that.”

“We've kind of been missing that all year,” freshman Drew Blake said. “Just the timely hitting and we definitely saw that today, putting up a good amount of runs and not many hits so it means that we did well on timely hitting.”

Blake was one of the non-starters who would take advantage of his time in the lineup. Making just his third collegiate start, the freshman smashed his second career home run to give the Stags (9-24) some breathing room. The shot over the right center field wall gave Fairfield a 6-3 lead in the fifth inning.

“It felt good,” Blake said. “I was really seeing the ball well that at-bat. I got it to a 3-2 count and he threw it a little in and low and I got a good piece of it.”

Blake was not the only freshman who helped the Stags today. Drew Arciuolo, who is having the best stretch of his collegiate career, also had a hit and drove in a run. Arciuolo singled in Alex Witkus in the fourth inning, which gave Fairfield a 4-2 lead.

“These guys have been sitting most of the year, it's good to see someone get an opportunity and take advantage of it,” Coach Currier said. “I think the guys on the bench feel that if they get their opportunity, we're going to give them a shot. That's a good feeling to the guys who have been watching for a while to get that opportunity.”

The Stags scored their first three runs while recording just one RBI. Troy Scocca had the first run scoring single in the third inning, giving the home team a 3-1 lead.

Two of the runs that the Stags scored today were helped out by Fordham errors. The Rams would record four of the seven errors of the game that was played on a hard infield surface.

Andrew Gallagher pitched himself into some trouble in the ninth inning by allowing the first two batters to reach base. A clutch throw by freshman Mitch Williams caught Matthew Kozuch trying to steal third base and Gallagher would eventually get a ground out to preserve the first save for the Stags this season.

The Rams had come into the game winners of five of their last seven games.

Sal Ciccone recorded his third multi-hit game in his last four outings as he is hitting .500 (8-for-16) during that span.

Witkus got on base three times, all by being hit by a pitch.

Anthony DiMauro started to quicken the pace of a game that would go two hours and 45 minutes to complete, as he gave up just one hit in his 1.2 innings.

Fairfield will now have the shortest possible road trip as they bus to The Ballpark at Harbor Yard to take on Sacred Heart tomorrow at 4pm.