FAIRFIELD, Conn. – Matt Bergevin and
Ethan Hibbard crushed back-to-back homers in a four-run sixth inning to lead the Stags to an 8-3 victory in the nightcap and force a doubleheader split against NJIT. Hibbard also homered in the opener, but the Stags were edged 6-5. The two-time MAAC Player of the Week has now homered in five-straight games and has clubbed nine homers during that span.
"Other than the two home runs, our hitters took many good pitches to hit or missed pitches by way of fly balls today," Head Coach
Bill Currier said. "We were fortunate to split with our defense and hitting decisions today."
Game One: NJIT 6, Fairfield 5
The Stags scored two runs in the bottom of the ninth inning to cut a 6-3 deficit to a single run, but could not complete the comeback as they were edged in the series opener.
JP Kuczik and Ryan Stollo each accounted for two-out RBI hits, with Kuczik connecting on a pinch-hit RBI double and Strollo driving home the run in the next at-bat.
Fairfield got on the board first in the bottom half of the opening inning as the red-hot Hibbard slugged a two-run shot over the left field wall.
That lead would last for just one inning as NJIT plated three in the top half of the second. Fairfield tied the game in the third on a
Luke Nomura solo homer, his third of the spring.
NJIT regained the lead in the fifth and then added to their advantage on a Kevin Putsky two-run shot in the top of the ninth.
Fairfield tried to mount a comeback with three-straight two-out hits in the bottom half but could not find the tying run.
Game Two: Fairfield 8, NJIT 3
The Stags put up a four-spot in the second inning, highlighted by
Dean Ferrara's two-out two-run single. Kuczik got the scoring started with a RBI single and Strollo forced in a run with a bases loaded walk.
Fairfield would score four times again in the sixth on back-to-back home runs by Bergevin and Hibbard. Bergevin drove in three with his blast, bringing his season total to 24.
Hibbard has now collected 11 homers and 36 RBI during his monster season.
On the mound, four Stag pitchers combined to allow just one earned run, highlighted by three shutout innings in relief for
Kevin Kell to pick up his first win of the season.
Jack Erbeck struck out two in a perfect ninth inning to complete the win.
The Stags and Highlanders are back in action to close out the series on Sunday at 1pm.
