ELON, N.C. – The Fairfield University Baseball team has started the 2022 campaign the same way they started last season: with a win. All nine starters tallied a hit for the Stags and Michael Sansone struck out eight batters in five innings of work as the Stags defeated Elon University 6-3 in the first game of the 2022 season. Sansone picked up the season opening victory and Nick Grabek shut the door with 2.2 shutout innings of relief to pick up the save.
 
"The story of the game was pitching and clutch hitting," Head Coach Bill Currier said. "We were led by Mike Sansone and the bullpen did a nice job in preserving the lead. When we needed to get a big hit, our players stepped up in the clutch."
 
The MAAC Preseason Player of the Year, Mike Caruso, was the sparkplug for Fairfield's first rally as he went the other way to pick up the first hit of the Stags season. The graduate catcher would later score on a RBI double from Matt Zaffino in his first at-bat as a Stag and gave Fairfield a 1-0 lead.
 
The road team would double that advantage as Fairfield's leadoff hitter Mike Handal launched a home run to right field, putting the score at 2-0.
 
Elon would cash a run back in the bottom of the third, but the Stags would answer with single runs in the fourth and fifth innings. Colin Kelly doubled for his first hit as a Stag in the third and would be brought home by a RBI single by Ryan Strollo.
 
The Fairfield offensive pressure scored another run in the fifth as Charlie Pagliarini lined a one out double to right center. Matt Venuto would tally a two out infield single which forced an errant throw from the first baseman, allowing Pagliarini to score Fairfield's fourth run.
 
As he did all last season, Sansone showed his bulldog demeanor on the mound, allowing just two runs on two hits and one walk while striking out eight in five efficient innings.
 
The Phoenix threatened in the bottom of the sixth with two runners on and two outs. Jack Erbeck came on in relief and struck out the batter to strand the two runners.
 
Erbeck would strikeout the first hitter he faced in the seventh before allowing a solo homer to Connor Offshack to put the score at 4-3. Grabek would enter and retire the next two hitters to keep the one run lead.
 
Fairfield would extend that slim lead by adding a couple of runs in the eighth. Caruso would lead off the inning with a walk and would advance a base on a single by Matt Bergevin. The two Fairfield transfers, Kelly and Zaffino would both add RBI singles to plate both of the runners.
 
Grabek would make that lead hold as he retired the next six hitters in order including a pair of strikeouts in the eighth. That save brought his career total to 15, placing just four behind the program's record.
 
All nine Fairfield starters tallied at least one hit with the three transfer: Bergevin, Kelly, and Zaffino each picking up a pair.
 
Only two Elon players recorded hits with Offshack collecting three of the team's four base knocks.
 
The contest was the first-ever game between the Stags and the Phoenix. The two teams will play the middle game of the series on Saturday at 1pm with Jake Noviello getting his first start of 2022 for the Stags.