FAIRFIELD, Conn. – Luke Nomura hit a game-tying solo homer – his second of the game – and
Paul Catalano raced home for the go-ahead score on a wild pitch in the eighth as the Fairfield University Baseball team rallied late to take an 8-7 victory over Saint Peter's in the series opener. The Stags hit four homers in the contest, including three in the fourth inning.
"It was good that the team stayed with it on a good hitting day," Head Coach
Bill Currier said. "We kept coming back and it was good to keep adding runs. It was good they stayed with it the entire game."
The Stags (14-17; 6-1 MAAC) had to rally right from the start as Saint Peter's tallied three runs with the first three hitters of the game. Brendan Wilson and Ashby Vining hit back-to-back homers that put the Stags in an early hole.
Fairfield would get one of those runs back in their half of the first on an
Ethan Hibbard RBI single, the first of his three hits on the game.
The Stags found their offensive punch in the fourth as they blasted three home runs in the span of three batters. Hibbard and
Matt Bucciero went back-to-back with Bucciero crushing his solo shot halfway up the trees in dead centerfield. Hibbard's two-run shot was his MAAC leading 13th of the season. Nomura would follow with an opposite field solo shot to give the Stags their first lead of the game at 5-4.
Saint Peter's Vining would get the lead right back on a three-run shot in the seventh and gave the visiting Peacocks a 7-5 advantage.
Fairfield would mount their comeback by scoring three runs in their final two turns at-bat. Hibbard completed his three-hit, four RBI day, with a single to left on a 3-0 pitch in the seventh inning.
Nomura would put the exclamation mark on the comeback with a long opposite field solo shot that hit off a car in the parking lot over the right center field wall. The long homer tied the game at 7-7 in the eighth.
The Stags would then load the bases with one out, but struggled to bring the go-ahead run in. On a 1-1 pitch, the ball got by the catcher and Catalano – who doubled to right after Nomura's homer – would race home to score what proved to be the game-winning run.
Jack Erbeck came in to close the door and fired a scoreless ninth for his second save of the season. Erbeck was helped out by his defense, with Hibbard throwing out the potential tying run at second with a caught stealing.
Peter Ostensen got the win in relief as he went three innings, only allowing Ashby's three-run homer in the seventh.
Hibbard and Nomura tied for the team lead with three hits and the duo combined for six of the seven RBI.
The two teams will play the middle game of the series tomorrow at Cook Field at 1pm.
