FAIRFIELD, Conn. – JP Kuczik tied the game with a fifth inning sacrifice fly and TJ Schmalzle used his baserunning skills to steal home while Will Youngman and Ryan Maiorano shut the door on the mound leading the Fairfield University Baseball team to a 4-3 win over Manhattan. With the victory, the Stags clinch the series win over the Jaspers while picking up their fourth-straight win overall.
 
"I was proud of our guys grinding out a tight win in a miserable, windy, and cold day," Head Coach Bill Currier said. "The pitchers kept handing the ball to the next guy who would get outs when we needed them."
 
Youngman and Maiorano combined for the final 2.2 scoreless innings of relief with Maiorano recording his third save of the season, and his second in back-to-back days. Youngman allowed just one hit during his 1.2 frames.
 
Harrison Engle was credited with his first collegiate win by throwing a shutout sixth inning after the Stags had retaken the lead.
 
The Stags scored both of their runs in the fifth without a hit but with impressive base running. Fairfield loaded the bases with Nolan Colby reaching on an error, TJ Schmalzle walking, and Luke Nomura being hit by a pitch.
 
Kuczik sent a line drive into right field where the Jasper defender Jeremy Sosa fully extended to make a diving catch, saving multiple runs but allowing Colby to score and Schmalzle to advance to third. Nomura would then force a rundown off a pickoff an kept the play alive to allow Schmalzle to sprint home with the go-ahead run.
 
Fairfield also used their baserunning to score the first run of the game as Bucciero had a wind aided double to shallow right to get into scoring position. He would steal third and then make the turn and sprint home on a wild pitch.
 
Kuczik added another RBI with a run-scoring double in the third.
 
Brendon Miller struck out five Jaspers and allowed a lone run in his four innings.
 
The Stags will look for their first sweep of the season when they face the Jaspers at Don and Chris Cook Field on Sunday at 1pm.