HAMDEN, Conn. – Six runs in the top of the sixth inning flipped a three-run deficit to a three-run advantage as Fairfield University Baseball rallied to top host Quinnpiac, 10-8, in the series opener on Thursday afternoon in Hamden.
Mike Becchetti and Collin Kelly each accounted for three of the Stags' 12 hits on the day.
With the win, Fairfield improves to 26-18 overall and 14-4 in the MAAC. The Bobcats fall to 14-28 on the year with a 7-11 conference mark.
On a wild day in Hamden where eight of the game's 23 hits left the yard, Becchetti, Kelly and
Charlie Pagliarini all homered for the Stags. Quinnipiac's five roundtrippers included three solo shots for Danny Melnick. Jared Zimbardo and Anthony Donofrio also hit solo dingers in the loss.
Kelly added a triple to finish 3-for-4 with an RBI and two runs scored. Becchetti also had a three-hit afternoon notching a pair of singles to his two-run shot.
Griffin Watson drilled a pair of RBI doubles,
Paul Catalano smacked an RBI two-bagger and
Matt Venuto roped an RBI single as a part of the pivotal sixth frame.
Mike Caruso singled to round out the Stags' efforts at the dish.
The win in relief went to
Jason Hebner (2-2), who registered the final out of the bottom of the fifth and benefitted from the Stags' outburst in the next half-inning. The ball then went to
Jack Erbeck, who silenced the Quinnipiac bats for three frames, allowing just one unearned run on two hits and a hit batter while striking out four.
Peter Ostensen toed the rubber in the bottom of the ninth and recorded a perfect stanza to close out his second save of the spring.
Bryson Cafaro started on the bump and struck out five while allowing seven earned runs on eight hits and two walks.
For Quinnipiac, starting pitcher Gabriel Romano (3-1) was saddled with the loss after ceding all 10 runs – eight earned – on 11 hits and one walk in 5.2 innings. Anthony Ambrosino was effective in 3.1 scoreless frames of relief.
The three-game MAAC series continues tomorrow in Hamden at 1 p.m. Due to Quinnipiac's commencement exercises taking over campus for Saturday, the series finale will be played on Alumni Diamond with first pitch slated for 11:30 a.m.
