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Fairfield University Athletics

Fairfield University Stags
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Regional
7
Arizona State ASU 33-22
9
Winner Fairfield FFD 39-4
Arizona State ASU
33-22
7
Final
9
Fairfield FFD
39-4
Winner
Score By Periods
Team 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 R H E
Arizona State ASU 0 3 2 1 0 1 0 0 0 7 13 0
Fairfield FFD 0 0 2 2 2 3 0 0 X 9 16 0

W: Sansone, Michael (9-2) L: Corrigan,Brady (2-2) S: Signore, John (2)

Game Recap: Baseball |

Stags Advance to Regional Finals, Eliminate Arizona State

AUSTIN, Texas – The Fairfield University Baseball team is for real. The Stags silenced anymore doubters as they eliminated No. 21 Arizona State with a 9-7 final score to advance to the Austin Regional Final against the host Texas Longhorns later on tonight. The Stags become the second MAAC school ever to play for the Regional title. The Stags will have to beat the Longhorns twice to advance to the Super Regionals.
 
"I think it justifies what we did this year," Head Coach Bill Currier said. "Our record was only against teams in conference and sometimes wasn't on the ears of the bigger schools they said we could never compete with. I feel like we had the justification of the year we had and the type of team that we are. And that's an important thing to see on a national stage."
 
Fairfield's all-time winningest pitcher, John Signore came in the ninth inning with two outs and the tying run at second base and got his only batter to strikeout to advance the Stags in the bracket.
 
Michael Sansone earned the win after tossing three shutout innings, pitching into the ninth before giving the ball to Signore in relief. Sansone's winning effort was a bounce back effort after he earned the loss against the same Arizona State team on Friday.
 
"I wanted to throw today more than I ever wanted to throw in my life," Sansone said. "That first game was very heartbreaking for myself but I knew I was going to get another chance and I figured it would be against them. When we got into that position and he sent me down I was ready and I wanted to do that more than anything in the world."
 
The Stags tied their largest comeback of the season as the Stags came back from a 5-0 deficit in this contest. Fairfield started their comeback in the bottom of the third when Sean Cullen roped a two-run homer in dead center field off the batter's eye over 400 feet away. That blast opened the scoring for the Stags and cut the deficit to 5-2.
 
After the Sun Devils added a run in the fourth, the Stags kept fighting back by adding two more in the bottom half of the frame. With a couple of runners in scoring position, Mike Handal drilled a ball through the right side that plated both runs and made the score 6-4.
 
The Stags would get another big two run RBI hit in the very next inning when Ryan Strollo took the first pitch he saw into right centerfield, plating a pair of runs and tying the score at 6-6.
 
The Sun Devils got a run back with a wild play in the sixth after Eli Oliphant unleashed a pitch that went right into the pocket of the home plate umpire. That was ruled a dead ball and by rule allowed both base runners to move up a base, giving the Sun Devils the lead.
 
But that is all Arizona State would muster against the Stags pitching.
 
And then it came down to the offense and the Stags responded in a big way. Handal led off the sixth inning with a walk and Dan Ryan would follow with a single, putting two runners on for the Stags' slugger Justin Guerrera and the shortstop answered the call. Guerrera crushed the first pitch he saw over the left center field wall, a three-run shot to give the Stags a 9-7 lead.
 
"Rounding the bases I kind of blacked out and didn't grasp the importance of the situation until I crossed home plate," Guerrera said. "It was great getting to celebrate with everyone and holding that lead for the rest of the game."
 
Sansone would work around two base runners in the seventh by getting Hunter Jump to strikeout to end the inning. He would work around a walk in the eighth to set up for a dramatic ninth inning. Sansone recorded the first two outs before Drew Swift doubled down the left field line representing the tying run. Signore would come in for relief and pick up his second save of the season.
 
The Stags, who won their first-ever Regional game yesterday, will now play for the Regional Championship later on tonight in front of a sold out crowd at Texas. The Stags will have to beat the host school Longhorns twice (tonight and tomorrow) to claim the Regional and advance to the Super Regionals. The Stags and the Longhorns will meet tonight at 9pm EST (8pm CST).
 
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