STATEN ISLAND, N.Y – Austin Pope fired eight innings allowing just two earned runs and
Eli Oliphant got a game-ending 6-4-3 double play to strand the tying run at third, as the Fairfield University Baseball team picked up a 6-5 victory in the opening game of the 2019 Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference (MAAC) Championships. With the victory, the Stags advance to play second-seeded Quinnipiac on Thursday at 11am.
"Going into the game you know in the back in your mind, this is what you work for," Pope said. "Since the first time you stepped on to campus to this game right here, it's what you work for this whole season. All those 6am runs, all that extra workouts that you put in, it gives you confidence going into that next game because you know you worked harder than them."
In the biggest game of his collegiate career, Pope would go a career-high eight innings while surrendering just three runs (two earned) on two hits. Pope would help the Stags take a 6-3 lead into the ninth, but would have to watch from the dugout as Monmouth mounted a late rally.
The first three batters of the ninth reached base, capped by a Jonny Zega RBI double, to put the tying run in scoring position.
Eli Oliphant, who has been Fairfield's best reliever all season, was called to try and get out of the jam and immediately struck out the first batter he faced. The Hawks would get within a run on a Danny Long RBI single, which also moved the tying run to third. On a 1-2 pitch, Oliphant got JP Walsh to chop a groundball to the shortstop
Jack Gethings who tossed to second baseman
Justin Guerrera who made the turn to retire the speedy Walsh and to secure Fairfield's 32nd victory of the season.
The Stags tied a single season program record with their 32nd victory.
Pope didn't allow his first hit until the fourth as Zack Schild broke a 1-1 tie with a RBI single as the Hawks mounted two runs in the fourth.
The Stags would retake the lead in the bottom half of the fourth as
Dylan Reynolds grounded a ball through the right side to drive in
Dan Ryan.
Mike Caruso followed with a sacrifice fly to right, to give the Stags a 3-2 lead.
After the Hawks tied the game in the sixth, the Stags loaded the bases with nobody out. After Monmouth got the next two outs, it was left to
Anthony Boselli to convert for the Stags. The senior would come up with the clutch hit as he cleared the bases with a two-run single to left field, with the third run scoring on Monmouth's third error of the game. With those two RBI, Boselli tied the program's single season record with 49 RBI.
Pope would allow just a walk during his final two innings after he was given the 6-3 lead, ending his career game with a 1-2-3 eighth on just 10 pitches.
Pope earned a win in his first career MAAC Championship with Oliphant picking up his sixth save of the season.
The Stags collected 12 hits with five Stags picking up multiple hits.
Fairfield will try and break the program's single season record for wins and advance to the finals of the winner's bracket when they take on second-seeded Quinnipiac on Thursday at 11am.
