FAIRFIELD, Conn. – Left fielder
Griffin Watson threw out the potential game-tying run out at home for the final play of the game as the Fairfield University Baseball team held on for an exciting 4-3 victory over crosstown rivals Sacred Heart on Tuesday. The Stags tallied just four hits in the afternoon but the biggest knock came off the bat of
Dean Ferrara with a go-ahead three-run homer for the first home run of his career.
"Our pitchers did a nice job of keeping them down besides the three solo home runs," Head Coach
Bill Currier said. "It wasn't a good offensive day other than certainly Dean's three-run homer so it was good that we hung tough and kept the game close. We haven't been in a lot of close games either way, especially low-scoring. I'm happy the guys battled and got ahead and then stayed ahead."
The Fairfield pitching quartet of
Blake Helmstetter,
Kevin Kell,
Jake Memoli, and
Bowen Baker combined to scatter eight hits with the only ones they surrendered coming from three solo shots.
Sacred Heart's Sam Mongelli connected on the first two long ball of the game to put the visiting Pioneers up 2-0. Besides those two pitches, Helmstetter was impressive in the mid-week start by striking out five and allowing three hits through the first three innings.
The Stags would cut the deficit in half with a
Charlie Pagliarini RBI groundout in the fourth. Fairfield's biggest offensive inning came in the fifth and they did so with just one big hit.
Matt Bucciero would draw a one-out walk and
AJ Donofrio would be hit by a pitch to put two runners on. Ferrara would come up and drill the 2-1 pitch over the left center field wall for his first career long ball. The three-run shot gave the Stags a 4-2 advantage.
Memoli would hold down the Pioneers in the next two frames, allowing just a double in the seventh. Baker would come in and earn the two-inning save with help from his defense in the ninth. With a runner in scoring position, Justin Jordan grounded a ball through the left side and was picked up by the charging left fielder Watson who gunned out the runner at home to end the game.
At the plate, Watson was also one of just four different Stags to pick up a hit in the contest.
Wednesday's game between the Stags and the Pioneers has been canceled due to the Pioneers traveling for their series at Coppin State beginning on Thursday.
The Stags will next take the field in Trenton, N.J., as they open up a three-game set against Rider with the opening game coming at the Trenton Thunder Park on Friday at 7pm.
