FAIRFIELD, Conn. – Charlie Pagliarini drew the game-winning bases loaded walk, through the rain in a sun shower, which capped one of the most exciting comebacks of the year as the Fairfield University Baseball team opened their pivotal conference series with a 6-5 victory over Canisius. The Stags also tied the game in the final frame on a pinch-hit single by AJ Donofrio.
 
"It was a great combination of not giving up and battling back against the best pitcher in the league," Head Coach Bill Currier said. "It's tremendous to see guys off the bench come in and get key hits and we executed some sacrifice bunts. It's just good to see different guys put their hands in the success in the later innings."
 
The Stags (27-14, 10-3 MAAC) trailed 4-0 in the bottom of the sixth, managing just two hits against Canisius' Matt Duffy before mounting their comeback. Fairfield would score at least a run in each of the last four innings.
 
Pagliarini was at the forefront of the comeback as he got the Stags on the board with a monstrous two-run, two-out home run, his 17th of the season.
 
Jake Noviello would respond by throwing a scoreless top of the seventh, allowing the Stags to try and get closer in the bottom half of the inning. The Stags were able to make it a one-run game on a solo shot by Matt Bucciero which cleared the center field wall and put the score at 4-3.
 
Canisius would find an insurance run in the top of the eighth, but the Stags would respond with another run in their half of the stanza. After the first two hitters of the inning were retired, the Stags mounted a two-out comeback. Pagliarini and Matt Bergevin started with back-to-back singles through the left side which would be followed by a Mike Handal walk to load the bases. Mike Becchetti would force in a run as he drew a walk to put the game at 5-4.
 
The most dramatic part of the game came in the ninth. Nick Sturino started the dramatics with a double that just snuck inside the third base bag. Donofrio would come in to pinch hit and sent the first pitch he saw up the middle, scoring the tying run. Griffin Watson would follow with a perfectly executed bunt past the pitcher to put runners at first and second. Noah Lucier would load the bases and set up the game-winning at-bat as he drew an eight-pitch walk.
 
Pagliarini worked the count to 3-2 before watching the final pitch of the game inside, scoring the game-winning run.
 
Paglairini was the lone Stag with multiple hits as he went 2-for-4 with two runs scored and three RBI.
 
Noviello kept his home winning streak alive as he went seven strong innings allowing four runs on seven hits. Three of those runs came on one swing of the bat with a bases clearing double in the fourth.
 
Blake Helmstetter picked up the win with a scoreless ninth.
 
The two teams are back in action tomorrow in the middle game at 1pm.