FAIRFIELD, N.Y. – Charlie Pagliarini set the program's single season home run record with his 14th round tripper of the year, but the Fairfield University Baseball team gave up three runs in the top of the ninth to fall to Niagara 7-6. Pagliarini was one of two Stags to hit a long ball in the setback with
AJ Donofrio also launching his third homer of the year. On the mound,
Jake Noviello showed his toughness through 119 pitches giving the Stags seven strong innings.
After Fairfield (21-14, 7-3 MAAC) gave up three runs in the top of the ninth, it marked the only time in the game the Stags would trail after jumping out to a 4-0 lead after four innings.
The Stags held a 6-4 advantage heading into the last inning and would retire the first batter on a Brady Desjardins lineout. Nick Groves would double down the left field line and advance to third on a wild pitch. Kelly Corl tied the game on a RBI single to left and the next batter Cole Tucker gave the Purple Eagles the lead with a long two-run shot to left.
Fairfield scored four runs and pounded out nine hits through the first four innings. Pagliarini put the Stags on the board with an historic two-run shot in the first, his 14th of the year setting the program's single-season record. It was also the 30th career homer for Pagliarini as he is one of just two Stags to reach 30 in his career and the first in 23 years.
The Stags would tack on another run with a
Dean Ferrara RBI single in the second and a
Griffin Watson run-scoring single in the fourth.
Fairfield would score a run in all three of the middle innings, plating a run with a
Mike Handal RBI single in the fifth and an opposite field homer by Donofrio in the sixth.
Noviello was strong through his seven innings and career-high 119 pitches, allowing three runs in the fifth and one in the sixth. He ended his outing with an exclamation mark with back-to-back strikeouts, and finished the day with six punchouts.
Noah Lucier led the Stags with four hits as he went 4-for-5 with two runs scored. Watson, Pagliarini, and Handal each had two hits.
The game time for Saturday's game has been changed to noon due to inclement weather.
