RIVERDALE, N.Y. – The Fairfield University Baseball team kept up their offensive momentum as they pounded out a combined 28 runs on 23 hits in a doubleheader sweep of Manhattan, taking the contests 16-4 and 12-4. The two wins extends Fairfield's season opening winning streak to a perfect 24-0.
"It was a good offensive win," Head Coach
Bill Currier said. "We certainly got some hits early and scored some runs.
Jake Noviello did a good job of keeping us right in it. We were down 2-0 but we sucked it up and got outs. We made some good plays on defense on a tough surface and got some key hits from different players. I like the good production we are getting throughout the order, especially the bottom of the order."
Game One: Fairfield 16, Manhattan 4
Just three days after putting up 20 runs in seven innings at Saint Peter's, the Stags kept swinging their hot bats by scoring 16 runs in the seven inning opener.
Mike Handal was the leader of the offensive onslaught, driving in a career-high six runs while blasting two home runs, his first multi-homer game of his career.
Fairfield scored five times in the top of the second, highlighted by a bases clearing triple by
Ryan Strollo, putting the score at 4-0. Strollo would show head up baserunning as he dashed home on a wild pitch a few throws later to widen the Fairfield advantage to 5-0.
Handal would have the first of his two big blasts in the third inning as he launched an opposite field three-run shot to open up the lead to 8-0.
That would also be the first of three homers for the Stags in the opener as
Sean Cullen drove a 2-2 pitch over the right center field wall in the fourth.
Handal would continue his career day with his second homer of the day, blasting the pitch over the right center field wall.
His day would not be over as he highlighted another big Fairfield inning as the Stags capped their scoring with five runs in the sixth.
Owen Wosleger recorded his first career hit as a Stag with a pinch hit double, allowing
Mike Caruso to score on an error. Handal would drive him home with a RBI triple, the sixth RBI for Handal in the opener.
Dan Ryan would follow with a RBI double and Cullen drove in a run on a fielder's choice.
Charlie Pagliarini finished the Stags' scoring as he was hit by a pitch with the bases loaded to drive in the 16th run for the Stags.
The reigning MAAC Pitcher of the Week, and Collegiate Baseball Newspaper National Player of the Week,
Michael Sansone would easily protect that lead. Sansone tossed five-straight scoreless frames allowing just two hits over that span.
Manhattan would score all four of their runs in the final two innings, with two charged to Sansone. In total, Sansone tossed six innings allowing two runs on five hits while striking out five.
Handal led the Stags with three hits on his 3-for-5 contest with six RBI and three runs scored. He tied Caruso for the team-high with those three runs scored. Ryan was the only other Stag to record a multi-hit game with a 2-for-3 showing.
Game Two: Fairfield 12, Manhattan 4
The Stags fell behind just three batters into the bottom of the first as the MAAC Preseason Player of the Year Nick Cimillo connected on a two-run shot to put the Jaspers ahead 2-0.
Like they have done all season, the Stags immediately responded. Caruso was the first Stag with a big hit as he launched a ground rule double to get the Stags on the board and out the deficit at 2-1. That advantage would last just two more pitches when Strollo lined a two-run single to give the Stags a 3-2 lead.
Fairfield would not trail again but the Jaspers kept putting the pressure on Fairfield's starter
Jake Noviello. Manhattan had a runner in scoring position in most of the five innings that Noviello tossed, but the junior right hander kept finding ways to keeping Manhattan off the board. Noviellio would strike out eight batters in five frame, three of those ending threats. The Stags' defense came up big in the fifth on Noviello's last batter. Manhattan's Trevor Santos lined a shot off the pitcher Noviello, with the ball hitting off Noviello and going to the shortstop position.
Justin Guerrera would range to his right, barehand the ball and throw out the runner at first to complete Noviello's night.
After the Stags extended their lead to 6-2,
Mike Becchetti put the game out of reach as he launched a two-run homer over the left field wall for his second homer of the season.
Manhattan would edge closer with two runs in the eighth to put the game at 9-4, but Fairfield scored three more times in the ninth on a Handal sacrifice fly, a Strollo RBI single, and Caruso scoring on a wild pitch.
Eli Oliphant relieved Noviello as he tossed two scoreless frames.
Eight different Stags recorded hits in the night cap with Ryan, Pagliarini, Strollo, and Caruso all picking up multiple hits.
With the 28 runs, the Stags have now scored 48 runs over their last 23 innings.
The Stags will be back in action tomorrow as they complete their four game series with the Jaspers with a doubleheader starting at noon.
