AUSTIN, Texas – The Fairfield University Baseball team held a 6-5 lead going into the bottom of the ninth inning but the Stags could not complete the comeback as Arizona State scored twice in the frame to hand the Stags a walk-off defeat in the Austin Regional by a 7-6 final score.
Trey McLoughlin was strong through 6.1 innings and
Justin Guerrera paced the offense with a four hit night.
"I'm proud of the grit and resilience of getting ahead and then falling behind before battling back and getting ahead," Head Coach
Bill Currier said. "We showed a lot of character with the lead going into the ninth but couldn't just get it done. We had the right people in at the end but that's how it goes sometimes. We put us in a position to win that game."
The Stags set the momentum right from the opening pitch as
Mike Handal launched the first pitch of the game over the right center field wall to give the Stags a 1-0 lead. The leadoff blast was the Stags' first-ever home run in a NCAA Regional.
That opening homer helped set the pace for an offense that out-hit the Sun Devils 13-10 on the night. The Stags would actually have 20 base runners on the night as they also drew six walks. The Stags threatened again in the third as they had runners on the corners after back-to-back singles by
Dan Ryan and Guerrera. However, the Stags could not cash in an additional run and stranded 12 runners in the contest.
Arizona State would tie the score in the bottom half of the inning on a sacrifice fly. The Sun Devils would grab the lead in the fourth on an Ethan Long RBI single and then Jack Moss provided the big blast with a two run homer.
That would be all that the Pac-12 team could muster off McLoughlin as the right hander was sharp. The right hander used a line drive double play in the fifth and then got the side in order in the sixth with a strikeout to end the frame.
McLoughlin's success helped the Stags get back in the game as they edged closer in the top half of the sixth. Guerrera and
Charlie Pagliarini lined back-to-back doubles to put the score at 4-2.
Fairfield's biggest inning came in the seventh as they grabbed the lead with three runs.
Mike Handal started the rally with a leadoff single and Guerrera would follow with another hit. With two outs and two on, the Stags found their momentum by drawing four-straight walks. Two of those runs forced in runs and the Stags also scored a run on a wild pitch to grab a 5-4 lead.
After McLoughlin recorded the first out,
Michael Sansone came in for relief and got the first two hitters he faced to strikeout.
Fairfield would get an insurance run in the eighth as Cullen drove in Guerrera with a two out double. The Sun Devils edged closer with a RBI double in the eighth to set up to set up a dramatic ninth inning.
After recording the first out, the Sun Devils started their rally with back-to-back singles to put the tying run in scoring position. Arizona State would load the bases with a walk setting up a controversial play. Sansone tossed a pitch inside that looked like it hit the knob of the bat, but it was ruled a hit by pitch and confirmed by a quick review to force in the tying run. Two pitches later, Sean McLain blooped a single into right center and Handal's throw was just a bit late for the walk-off win for the Sun Devils.
Guerrera led the Stags with four hits while Handal and Cullen also picked up a pair of base knocks. The Stags will be back in action on Saturday when they face Southern in an elimination game at 1pm CST, 2pm EST.
