NEW ROCHELLE, N.Y. – As darkness covered the field in New Rochelle, N.Y., Mike Bonaiuto finally put to rest one of the most entertaining regular season games the MAAC has ever seen. The 14-inning contest that lasted over four and a half hours, featured five lead changes, 32 hits, 19 walks (17 drawn by the Stags), and 471 pitches thrown. But the final pitch capped off a career-best 6.2 innings from Bonaiuto and gave the Stags an 8-7 victory on the road against Iona.

“It's always tougher to win an extra inning game on the road,” Head Coach Bill Currier said. “We have to give our kids credit for hanging tough and staying in it. They clawed for some more runs even though the game was going back and forth.”

The Stags (10-16, 2-2 MAAC), who have had a knack for late game dramatics, had a season's worth on this crisp Friday night. The most significant came in the 14th inning where Jake Salpietro led off the frame with a leadoff double and would eventually score when Mitch Williams had the biggest hit of his first two collegiate campaigns, driving in Salpietro and giving Fairfield a 8-7 lead.

The Stags then kept the ball in the hands of their junior left hander Bonaiuto, who is primarily used as a multiple innings reliever. Tonight, he was one batter shy of tying the Fairfield starter for the most batters faced in the game. And he got stronger as the game went on. He retired the final 12 men he faced in grabbing his second win of the season. He earned every pen stroke of that W tonight. His final line read 6.2 innings, two runs and nine hits allowed, and five strikeouts.

“He was the story of the game,” Currier said. “After two innings we were thinking who was going to go next and he said 'I feel great'. He's been a guy who has been getting it so we left him in.”

Besides the brilliance of Bonaiuto, what set this game apart from others you may see was the late building drama as the Stags had a one run lead in the eighth, ninth, and tenth innings.

Before that, the Stags were playing behind virtually the entire game as Iona (7-19, 2-2 MAAC) scored the first run of the game and took a 3-2 lead in the eighth inning.  That's when the Stags made their first comeback. Michael Conti singled in the tying run and Tim Zeng doubled down the right field line, scoring Tom Ryan with the go-ahead run and the Stags grabbed their first lead of the game at 4-3.

Fairfield could have tacked on more runs but two runners were thrown out at the plate. A total of five combined runners were gunned down at home in this contest.

The Stags gave the lead right back in the bottom half of the inning on RBI singles from Sean Breen and Lou Matarazzo.

Bonaiuto took the mound after those run scoring hits and got the final two outs, and he would not leave the mound for the next six innings.

But the Stags trailed by one run with three outs left. Williams got the first of his two big hits with a tapped single to the pitcher, which tied the game in the ninth. Fairfield wasn't done. Mac Crispino lifted a fly ball into left field, deep enough to get the go-ahead run across the plate and the Stags led 6-5.

Iona forced extra innings when Breen grounded a 0-2 pitch to the shortstop, which was hit slow enough to tie the game with an infield single.

After the Stags drew two walks in the tenth, they caught another break. A balk was called with runners at first and third, scoring yet another late go-ahead run as Conti touched home plate.

Iona continued to ride the seesaw match in their half of the tenth, in a frame that looked to be a disaster for the Stags. Three-straight singles started off the frame, putting the tying run at third and the winning run at second. The very next batter, Bonaiuto forced a 1-2-3 double play to put the Gaels down to their final out. Iona was able to tie the game with a Fran Kinsey single, but that just set up more late game heroics for the Stags.

The Stags drew 17 walks in the game, which was eight shy of tying the NCAA record. Fairfield had plenty of opportunities in the game and left 19 men on base, which was five shy of tying the collegiate record.

Salpietro had a game-high four hits, including his double to open up the 14th. Troy Scocca drew four walks, one shy of tying the program record, and reached base five times.

The Stags will have one day to recuperate as their series ending doubleheader will now be played on Sunday starting at noon.