FAIRFIELD, Conn. – Matt Lussier tallied his first career home run and the pitching duo of
Blake Helmstetter and
Peter Ostensen limited Canisius to just one run as the Fairfield University Baseball team took the opener of the series with a 4-1 final score. Lussier led the way for the Stags by driving in three of the team's four runs.
"I thought our pitchers did well pitching with people on base with two outs," Head Coach
Bill Currier said. "We did a good job getting the third out with guys on base. We didn't play the best defense but our pitchers overcame that and it was nice to see them picking up the infielders. They did a good job leaving runners on base."
Helmstetter tossed the first six scoreless innings for the Stags (11-15; 4-0 MAAC) while not allowing a hit until the fourth inning. He struck out four in the first three frames including back-to-back punchouts in the first.
Fairfield gave Helmstetter a lead to work with in the bottom of the second as Lussier turned on a 3-2 pitch off the right field foul pole for his first career homer. The two-out long ball also brought home
Payten Wawruck to put the Stags up 2-0.
The Stags would add a pair of runs in the fourth as
Zach Selinger started the frame with a single and would steal second on a nice dirt ball read.
Matt Bucciero lined a pith the other way over the outstretched right fielder while legging out a RBI triple. He would later score on a Lussier sacrifice fly.
Bucciero also made a highlight reel play on the defensive side on a diving play in the right center field gap in the second.
Fairfield pitching forced Canisius to strand 13 baserunners, with their biggest threat coming in the sixth as they loaded the bases. On the 100th pitch of his outing, Helmstetter induced a soft fly ball to left to get out of the jam.
Canisius threatened again in the ninth inning by getting the tying run to the plate with nobody out but Ostensen got back-to-back strikeouts and then third baseman
Dean Ferrara made a nice play at third to end the contest.
Fairfield pitching recorded 12 strikeouts with six apiece coming from Helmstetter and Ostensen, who tallied all his punch outs in just three innings.
The Stags and the Griffs will play the middle game of the series tomorrow at 1pm.
