FAIRFIELD, Conn. – The Fairfield University Baseball team combined for 38 runs on 33 hits and clinched at least a share of the MAAC Regular Season Championship as they swept Iona in a doubleheader with scores of 15-9 and 23-4. The season-high 23 runs were the most at Alumni Diamond by the Stags since 2005. With Fairfield's sweep and Rider's loss to Manhattan, the Stags clinch at least a share of the regular season title for the third-straight season.
"It's good to see production at the top and bottom of the lineup," Head Coach
Bill Currier said. "It was good to get extras in and have success today. It was good to see
Emmett Tolis and
Mike Marella getting in there and throwing quality innings. It's good to see that in the ball club."
Game One: Fairfield 15, Iona 9
The Stags would score the first four runs of the game and nine of the first 11 through the first five innings.
Charlie Pagliarini would tie and later break the MAAC single season RBI mark as he started the scoring with a RBI single in the first.
Mike Becchetti would add a run scoring double in the frame as the Stags plated three in the first inning.
Ethan Hibbard had a big day at the plate with five hits combined in the twin bill, starting with a solo homer in the second.
Fairfield broke open the scoring with a five-spot in the fifth, helped by a
Paul Catalano RBI single and back-to-back hit by pitches with the bases loaded to
Matt Bergevin and Becchetti.
Mike Handal had the big hit in the frame with a two-run single through the left side.
Despite leading 10-5, Iona would make it a ballgame again with a grand slam in the seventh. The Stags would get all those runs back with another five-spot in the bottom half of the frame.
Matt Bucciero brought home two with a single through the left side and
Noah Lucier capped the offense with a sacrifice fly to right.
Every Stags starter scored and drove in a run, paced by Catalano's three RBI and Hibbard's four runs scored. Hibbard, Catalano, and Handal led the team with two hits apiece.
Jake Noviello finished his career without a loss at Alumni Diamond as he tossed 5.2 innings, improving his home record to 11-0.
Peter Ostensen was impressive out of the pen by picking up the save and throwing the final 2.2 frames.
Game Two: Fairfield 23, Iona 4
The Stags plated the most runs at home in nearly two decades with a 23-run outburst in the nightcap. Twelve different Stags picked up a hit in the victory, led by three hits apiece from Lucier, Pagliarini, and Bergevin.
Fairfield actually trailed 2-0 after the first inning but that was quickly erased as Pagliarini continued the best offensive season in Fairfield history with a two-run opposite field homer, his 21st of the season.
The Stags would plate six runs in the third and seven more in the fourth to break open the scoring. Hibbard continued his hot hitting with a three-run homer, his fourth-straight game with a home run. Over those four games, he is batting .667 (8-for-12) with 12 runs scored and 10 RBI.
Pagliarini would single to cap the scoring in the fourth, bringing home his 84th RBI of the year. The senior entered the game third in the country in RBI and RBI per game.
Lucier cleared the bases with a bases loaded triple in the fifth while Bergevin would add a two-run double in the frame. Becchetti and Handal would follow with RBI singles.
Handal, Lucier, and
AJ Donofrio would tally RBI singles in the seventh as the Stags batted around three times in the contest.
Lucier paced the Stags with five RBI.
The Stags improve their overall record to 33-16 and conference mark to 15-5. They will have a chance to win the regular season championship, and the top-seed in the MAAC Championships, outright in the regular season finale tomorrow at 3pm. Before the contest, the Stags will honor the Senior Class of 2023 which have accounted for three-straight 30-win seasons and 106 victories overall.
