NEWARK, Dela. – Dan Ryan broke a 2-2 tie in the top of the ninth inning with a two-out RBI double to left and Nick Grabek saved the contest with a hitless ninth inning leading the Fairfield University Baseball team to their first victory of the 2019 season, 3-2 against Delaware on Friday.
 
"The three relievers did a nice job coming into the game to close out anymore Delaware runs," Head Coach Bill Currier said. "Tom Ryan and Dan Ryan had good late at-bats to either set the bases or knock in the go-ahead run."
 
Dan Ryan's run scoring double capped a two-run ninth that turned a 2-1 Fairfield deficit into a 3-2 victory. The inning started when Giacomo Brancato reached on a fielding error and was replaced by Tyler Gambardella to pinch run. He would advance to second on Tom Ryan's third hit of the afternoon, a single to center field. After both runners advanced by a wild pitch, Tim Zeng would tie the game by making contact, leading to a RBI ground out. That would set the scene for Dan Ryan's go-ahead hit.
 
Grabek would record his first career save by finishing off the top of the Delaware lineup, allowing a lone walk.
 
Tom Ryan was the lone Stag to solve Delaware's starter Brandon Walter as he collected two of Fairfield's seven hits against the southpaw.
 
Fairfield scored their first run in the top of the sixth starting with a Dylan Reynolds one-out double. He would advance to third on a wild pitch and score after Mike Caruso caused a rundown at first base.
 
Along with Grabek, Bobby McNiff and Eli Oliphant were impressive coming out of the pen. McNiff threw two innings, surrendering one hit and striking out two. Oliphant earned the victory after throwing a hitless eighth.
 
The Stags and the Blue Hens will play in the middle game of their three-game set on Saturday at 1pm.