FAIRFIELD, Conn. – The Fairfield University Baseball team combined for 16 runs on 20 hits as they swept a doubleheader from Niagara with final scores of 5-2 and 11-5. Colin Kelly and Dean Ferrara both tallied a pair of hits in both ends of the twin bill with Kelly also launching his third home run of the week in the nightcap. On the mound, Jake Noviello and Bryson Cafaro both picked up the victories with Cafaro setting a career-high with nine strikeouts.
 
"I thought our hitters did a nice job staying in the game and keeping the ball on the barrel," Head Coach Bill Currier said. "We hit some hard balls and scored some runs in bunches. We've been waiting for extra base hits and hits with guys on base all season. It was good to see. Matt Zaffino really hit the ball on the barrel five or six times today along with Griffin Watson."
 
Game One: Fairfield 5, Niagara 2
 
The Stags fell behind in the early game with Niagara plating a run in the first and second innings but the Stags would respond with three runs in the third.
 
Zaffino had the first big hit for the Stags with a RBI double to left which would be followed by a go-ahead two-run single by Ryan Strollo.
 
Zaffino almost had another double in the first inning, lining the ball into the gap but Niagara's center field Dawson Bailey made an unbelievable diving catch to keep the Stags off the board at the time.
 
Fairfield manufactured a run in the sixth when Watson reached on an error and would take second on a wild pitch. He would advance to third on a Ferrara single and race home on a Colin Kelly sacrifice fly just feet into the outfield.
 
Fairfield would cap their scoring in the eighth on a line drive home run off the bat of Watson, the first homer in his career.
 
Noviello would pick up the victory as he tossed six innings while allowing the two early runs. He got stronger as the game went along, retiring eight-straight batters before issuing a walk in the sixth, which was quickly erased on a caught stealing.
 
Peter Ostensen would come in relief and throw a scoreless seventh before giving the ball to Colin McVeigh who was impressive in the final two frames by striking out five of the seven batters he faced to pick up the save.
 
Kelly, Watson, and Ferrara led the Stags with two hits apiece in the opener.
 
 
Game Two: Fairfield 11, Niagara 5
 
The Stags needed some time to get on the board again in the nightcap, scoring their first run in the third to tie the game at 1-1.
 
Watson started the frame with a double to left center which would be followed by a Ferrara single. Both runners would move up a base on a Evan Berta sacrifice bunt. That would set up the first run for the Stags as Watson would score on a balk.
 
Trailing 3-1 in the sixth, the Stags found their offensive momentum and would score 10 runs in the next three innings. The run parade started in the sixth with Kelly leading off the frame with his fourth homer of the spring and the third in his last four games. Strollo would plate two more runs with his second go-ahead two-run single of the day and would later score on a passed ball.
 
Fairfield would follow that frame with four more runs in the seventh with all of them coming with two outs. Zaffino brought home Berta and Mike Becchetti with a two-run double which would be followed by another two-run double by Mike Caruso.
 
The Stags capped their scoring in the eighth with RBI singles by Zaffino and Matt Venuto, who went 2-for-3 in the late innings.
 
Fairfield's starter Cafaro had his best outing of the season, tossing a career-high seven innings while striking out a personal best nine batters. He struck out seven of those hitters in the first five innings while getting 1-2-3 innings in the fourth and fifth.
 
The Stags and the Purple Eagles will attempt to close out their three-game series on Sunday. First pitch has been moved to 10:30am due to inclement weather in the forecast.