POMONA, N.Y. – The top-seeded Fairfield University Baseball team got the tying run to scoring position in the bottom of the ninth but a hard-hit line drive found the glove of Mount St. Mary's first baseman, concluding a 12-10 setback by the Stags in their first game of the MAAC Championships. The Stags will now play in an elimination game tomorrow at Clover Stadium at 3pm.
 
The Stags got off to a quick 5-0 lead while plating all five runs with two outs. Fairfield was helped by three hit batters, a walk, and an error to tally their first two runs. Tyler Kipp would have the big knock of the inning with a two-run single to the left center field gap to double the lead. The long inning would be capped by a balk, scoring Sturino and putting the score at 5-0.
 
The Mount would chip away at the deficit with three runs in the third inning highlighted by back-to-back RBI singles.
 
Fairfield would get a pair of those runs back in their half of the third on another big hit by Kipp, a two-run shot far over the left field wall to put Fairfield's advantage at 7-3.
 
Again, the Mount would chip away and tie the game with a three-run homer by Scott Seeker in the fourth.
 
Fairfield would scratch across the go-ahead in the bottom of the sixth as Luke Nomura singled through the left side to drive in Paul Catalano to put the score at 8-7. The run was set-up by a perfectly executed hit-and-run by Dean Ferrara, who with the single gained his 92nd base hit of the season tying the conference's single-season record.
 
That lead would not last long as the Mount evened the score on a sacrifice fly in the seventh.
 
The four-seed would then break that 8-8 tie with four runs in the eighth helped by a pair of errors and three wild pitches.
 
The Stags were then forced to rally in the bottom of the ninth and started with a long home run to center field by Matt Bergevin, his conference-leading 18th of the season. The Mount would get two outs putting the Stags down to their final out.
 
Fairfield would get three-straight runners with a Nick Sturino hit by pitch, another Kipp RBI single, and a Ryan Strollo walk which loaded the bases. Pinch hitter Matt Lussier hit the ball right on the barrel, but the screaming line drive was caught by the first baseman, completing the 12-10 final score.
 
Kipp led the Stags with three hits and a career-high five RBI. Bergevin also picked up multiple hits including the 37th home run of his Fairfield career.
 
The Stags will now play in an elimination game in the MAAC Championships, taking the field on Friday at 3pm.