Box Score FAIRFIELD, Conn. – Dan Hopkins, Dean Sadik, and Jake Salpietro all went yard for the Stags but the long ball was not enough as Fairfield was edged in the first round of the crosstown rivalry to Sacred Heart 10-9 on a rainy Alumni Diamond. The nine runs scored was the most in a game for the Stags since April 6, and the three home runs was the most in a contest since May 9, 2010 against Iona.
Playing as the away team (even though the game was played on their home field), the Stags (9-25) quickly came back from a 4-0 deficit by scoring three runs in the fourth inning. Sebastian Salvo got the first RBI on his 13th double of the season. He was eventually driven in on the first home run for the Stags when Hopkins hit a towering fly ball to left field over the wall for his third home run of the year.
At that point, the weather would play a factor with the wind blowing many fly balls forcing them to carry deep.
Mac Crispino led off that inning with a double, his first of four hits in the afternoon, the first time in his career he accomplished that feat.
The Stags had a golden opportunity in the fifth inning with the bases loaded and nobody out. Kevin Radziewicz drove in the tying run with a sacrifice fly, but Sacred Heart (13-19-1) was able to get back-to-back fly balls out to end the threat.
Fairfield would fight back in the sixth inning when Sadik would drive one just inside the left field foul pole for his first home run in three seasons. That shot would tie the game for the second time at 6-6.
The Pioneers would get the biggest knock of the game in the sixth inning when Keaton Flint smashed a grand slam over the left center field wall to give the designated home team a 10-6 lead.
Then it started to pour on the field.
Fairfield had one last fight in them when Salpietro came up as a pinch hitter and took the first pitch that he saw over the scoreboard in left field for his third home run of the season.
That made the score 10-9, but Ethan Lonardelli was able to get the final out for his first save of the season.
Salvo did not commit an error in five putouts bringing his total to 290, 17 chances shy of tying the all-time Fairfield record for most consecutive chances without an error, set in 1987.
Sadik and Hopkins also scored twice for the Stags.
Fairfield will have their conference “bye-week” and travel to Pittsburgh for a three-game series against the Panthers, starting Saturday at 1pm.
