FAIRFIELD, Conn. – The Fairfield University Baseball team gave up a pair of big leads in a game that spanned nine hours as they fell to the sixth-seeded Niagara Purple Eagles 19-14 in 10 innings to be eliminated from the MAAC Championships. Offensively, the Stags put up 19 hits while putting up all those 14 runs in the first five innings.
The Stags got off to a fast start in their first elimination game of the tournament as they put up eight runs in the first two innings, highlighted by a seven run second inning. The Stags showed off their power that carried them throughout the season with three home runs in that lopsided second inning.
Charlie Pagliarini started the power surge with a three-run shot that doubled the Fairfield lead and put the Stags up 6-0. The long ball was the 13th of the season for Pagliarini, tying him for the single season program record.
Matt Venuto would follow with a towering shot off the right center field signage, his ninth of the season.
Matt Bergevin would complete the home run surge with his tenth of the season, a long fly to left field. That helped the Stags put up an 8-0 lead.
However, the Stags would give that lead right back in the top of the third as the scrappy Purple Eagles put up an eight spot. Dawson Bailey would tie the game with a three-run shot.
Fairfield would fight back by scoring in each of the next three innings. Pagliarini would bring home a run with a double off the left field wall and Venuto would again follow with a big hit, a two-run single up the middle.
Paul Catalano would bring home a pair in the fourth on a single to right and
Matt Zaffino would cap the scoring in the fifth with a RBI single to center.
That put the Fairfield lead at 14-8 heading to the top of the seventh. The Stags would give a run back on a Matt Ward single.
That's when the skies opened up, forcing a four-hour rain delay. After the intermission, the Purple Eagles would come out firing after blanking the Stags in the bottom of the seventh. Niagara would score five times in the eighth capped by a Ward three-run homer.
Despite scoring 14 times in the first five innings, the Stags would be held off the scoreboard for the next five frames. However, the team did have chances. They got two runners in scoring position in the seventh, but Niagara would force a pop up to end the threat.
After
Colin McVeigh struck out the side in the ninth, the Stags would put two men on and place the winning run in scoring position with one out. However, Niagara would force a 6-6-3 double play to end the threat.
Niagara would make those chances come back to hurt the Stags in the top of the tenth as they plated five runs on three hits. The Purple Eagles would score their first run on a wild pitch three RBI singles.
Seven different Stags recorded multiple hits with Venuto and
Colin Kelly leading the squad with three.
Griffin Watson paced the team by scoring three runs to go along with his two hits.
Fairfield added three home runs to their 2022 total to bring their mark to 75 on the season. That number is the third highest of any MAAC team
The Stags will end the 2022 season with a 31-21 record and their second-straight MAAC Regular Season Championship.
