FAIRFIELD, Conn. – It took eight and a half innings and nearly three and a half hours for the Fairfield University Baseball team to find their momentum, but when they did the Stags would celebrate on their home field after walking off against regional power St. John's with a 4-3 victory. Giacomo Brancato drove in the game-winning run on a bases loaded walk to cap a three run ninth inning for the Stags.
 
"I think anytime that you come back it gives you more confidence," Head Coach Bill Currier said. "We've been in a lot of closer games lately and it's good for pitchers to be out there when the game is on the line and it's good for hitters to be out there with runners in scoring position. Fortunately, we've had some key hits lately which certainly is what we're looking for late in games."
 
Jack Gethings highlighted Fairfield's comeback effort with a game-tying two run double, marking his fourth hit of the day.
 
"A game like this has a great possibility of building character," Gethings said. "Wins like these we get to celebrate together on the field, it brings everyone closer, and it ends the game on a good note. It gives us more reason to come out and fire this weekend."
 
While Gethings' double gave the team and fans reason to celebrate, it was the three players in front of Gethings who set the table. Mike Caruso started the frame with a single off St. John's closer Gavin Hollowell, who was named to the Big East Second Team last season. After Caruso's single, Tim Zeng, who homered for Fairfield's first run, chopped a ball to third and was able to beat it out without a throw. Griffin Watson would load the bases after being hit by a pitch, bringing up Gethings.
 
Gethings worked a seven pitch at-bat, which featured three-straight foul balls before roping a long drive that one bounced off the right field wall, scoring Caruso and Zeng to tie the game. The Johnnies would walk Anthony Boselli intentionally to bring up Brancato with a chance to win the game. Brancato would fall behind 0-2, before fouling off two pitches and forcing the count full. Brancato would take the high fastball out of the zone, scoring Watson and allowing the Stags to celebrate.
 
Gethings' double was only the second extra base hit of the game, joining Zeng's home run in the third. With his four hits, Gethings extends the longest hitting streak of the program's history to 24-straight games and moved to sixth on the program's list with 219 career base knocks.
 
The winning formula was familiar for the Stags, who enjoyed another great pitching day from their bullpen as five Fairfield relievers did not allow a St. John's run over five innings, helping snap the Johnnies seven-game winning streak.
 
The victory improves the Stags' winning streak to a season long four games.
 
Nick Grabek earned his first win of the season by tossing a scoreless ninth. Of the five relievers, Eli Oliphant went the longest on the mound with 1.2 scoreless frames.
 
The Stags will look to ride this momentum into their conference series against Marist, starting with a doubleheader on Saturday at noon.