STATEN ISLAND, N.Y. – The Fairfield University Baseball team had the tying runs on base in the ninth inning with nobody out, but the Stags could not even the score as they dropped their first game of the Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference (MAAC) Championships 6-4 to Quinnipiac. With the loss, the Stags drop to the elimination bracket and will face the winner of Monmouth and Marist at 7pm tonight.
Quinnipiac was aided by three Fairfield errors as three of their six runs were unearned. The Bobcats loaded the bases in the second and would put across the first run of the game on a Dylan Lutz RBI sacrifice bunt. Brian Moskey added a two-run single to give the Bobcats a 3-0 lead.
The Stags rallied in the fourth as the first three hitters reached base to give the Stags their best scoring opportunity. All three runners would end up crossing the plate, starting with a
Dan Ryan RBI fielder's choice.
Dylan Reynolds brought a runner home on a bunt with
Giacomo Brancato grabbing the only run scoring hit with a RBI single.
The Bobcats would regain the lead as they capitalized on a two out Fairfield error to score three runs on three-straight hits.
Fairfield would not threaten until the final inning, grabbing just one hit from the fifth to the ninth innings. In that final frame, the first three hitters would reach against the MAAC Relief Pitcher of the Year, Andrew Workman.
Anthony Boselli started the frame with a walk and
Dan Ryan would follow with a double down the left field line. Reynolds would bring the score closer with a RBI single to the opposite field, and also putting the tying run at first with no outs.
Workman was able to retire the next three hitters to clinch the game for the Bobcats.
Six different Fairfield hitters accounted for the six team hits. Boselli was the lone Stag to reach base multiple times with two walks.
Nick Grabek and
Bobby McNiff combined to throw the final three scoreless frames combining to allow just one hit and one walk.
The Stags will now drop to the elimination bracket and will next compete at 7pm against the winner of the Monmouth and Marist contest.
