FAIRFIELD, Conn. – The Fairfield University Baseball team was six outs away from seeing their season-long winning streak come to an end this afternoon, but the Stags fought back in both games of Wednesday's doubleheader and swept Quinnipiac by scores of 2-1 and 5-2 to move their immaculate record to 16-0. Dan Ryan had the big hit in the first game with a game-tying double in the sixth and Charlie Pagliarini came through with the big knock in the nightcap, a go-ahead two run single.
 
"We haven't been in a lot of tight games and it was good to be in some today," Head Coach Bill Currier said. "I'm glad that they kept at it and got some runs late. It builds character and a little thicker skin with the belief that you can win close ones. They experienced today that they can have some difficulty when they see a good pitcher and that's what happens."
 
 
Game One: Fairfield 2, Quinnipiac 1
 
The Stags first magic act of the day came in the bottom of the sixth in the seven inning opener as the team trailed 1-0.
 
Mike Handal led off the frame with a single up the middle on the first pitch of the frame. Ryan would lift a ball to the left center field gap, allowing Handal to score all the way from first and tie the game. Ryan would advance to third on a wild pitch and stay in scoring position until there were two out in the inning. Mike Becchetti hit a bouncing ball towards the middle that hit off the glove of the second baseman allowing Ryan to score on the go-ahead run.
 
Nick Grabek would give the team another lift as he rolled back out in the top of the seventh looking for the complete game victory. Grabek would hurl a perfect seventh to notch his first career complete game. Grabek retired the final 11 batters he faced and only surrendered one unearned run, helped by back-to-back errors in the third.
 
In total, Grabek allowed just three hits and struck out three while walking one in the victory.
 
Grabek also lowered his ERA to 1.84 in picking up his second-straight victory over Quinnipiac.
 
 
Game Two: Fairfield 5, Quinnipiac 2
 
Billy Fitzgerald kept the successful string of Fairfield starters going as he tossed four shutout innings in his second start of the season. Fitzgerald struck out five while allowing three hits and one walk during the stretch.
 
On the other side, Quinnipiac's starter Blake DeCarr matched zeroes with Fitzgerald with both teams scoreless until the bottom of the fourth when Ryan blasted a solo shot over the left field scoreboard to put Fairfield up 1-0.
 
That score would remain until the top of the sixth as Quinnipiac scratched across the tying run on a Sebastian Mueller RBI groundout and would take the lead on a McGwire Tuffy two out RBI double.
 
Those two runs were the first earned runs allowed by the Stags in 27-straight innings and four games dating back to the series opening contest against Rider.
 
The Stags would pull off their final magical act of the night in the bottom of the eighth in dramatic fashion. Ryan Strollo led off the inning with a walk and would advance to second on a Handal sacrifice bunt.
 
With two outs, Strollo and the Stags made their comeback with aggressive baserunning. Strollo would advance to third on a passed ball and would score on the next pitch as ball four bounced away from the catcher, allowing Strollo to sprint home with the tying run and put Justin Guerrera on first with a walk. Guerrera would keep the pressure on the defense by stealing second and advancing to third on a wild pitch on back-to-back throws. Sean Cullen would walk and Mike Becchetti loaded the bases on an eight pitch walk.
 
That set the scene for the most dramatic at-bat of the day with the bases loaded and two outs for Pagliarini. The Stags' third baseman increased the drama by working the count to 3-2 before sending a hard hit grounder up the middle, and off the glove of the infielder into center field. Guerrera and Cullen would score on the two run single that brought the Stags up 4-2.  Mike Caruso added another insurance run with a RBI single to left to make the advantage 5-2.
 
Michael Sansone entered the game and would slam the door, striking out the side in the ninth for his first career save.
 
Eli Oliphant picked up the victory with 2.2 scoreless innings, including getting out of a two out, one out jam in the eighth. Oliphant struck out four and allowed just one hit in his first victory of the season.
 
The Stags pitching allowed just three runs, two earned, in 16 innings of the doubleheader, lowering their nation's best ERA to 2.03 and their WHIP to 0.92, also the best in the NCAA.
 
Handal and Ryan were the only Stags to have multiple hits in both games of the doubleheader as both members of the duo went 4-for-6 in the two contests.
 
The Stags, the number one team in the national RPI rankings, will put the country's only perfect record on the line when they host Monmouth in a showdown at Alumni Diamond for a four game series beginning with a doubleheader on Saturday at noon.