FAIRFIELD, Conn. – The combination of Ben Alekson and Matthew Bucciero led the Fairfield University Baseball team to a 2-1 victory over the Mount St. Mary's Mountaineers in the series opener on Friday. Alekson fired seven strong innings while Bucciero launched the tie-breaking home run. With the win, the Stags improve to 11-5 in the conference.
 
"That's been a good combination," Head Coach Bill Currier said. "Their pitcher did a real good job and so did Ben so you could see it would be a tight, low scoring game. It came down to who would manufacture runs. That's a good game and a good win."
 
Alekson earned his fourth victory of the season allowing one lone run in 7.0 innings striking out five. The only run he surrendered came in the second on a groundout to third.
 
The Stags would answer back in the next frame with a RBI groundout of their own as Bucciero put the ball in play scoring Zach Stephenson.
 
Bucciero would pick up the biggest hit of the game in the fifth as he launched a two-out solo shot to left to put the game at 2-1.
 
Jimmy Mulvaney came in relief and pitched a dominant eighth inning striking out a batter and allowing just one hit on 10 pitches.
 
Ryan Maiorano worked through some trouble in the ninth inning, in part due to the Fairfield defense. Mairano threw a wild pitch that caromed off the back stop allowing JP Kuczik to throw out the would be tying run at the plate for the second out of the inning. Maiorano would settle down for his seventh save of the season.
 
Bucciero's homer was his 11th of the season, leading the conference.
 
The two teams will play a doubleheader tomorrow at Don and Chris Cook Field starting at 11:30am.