FAIRFIELD, Conn. – The Fairfield University Baseball team sent 17 men to the plate and plated 13 runs in the sixth inning to take down Iona 21-6 in the series opener. Ben Alekson picked up the win as he used the run support to cruise to pick up his fifth win of the year. The 13 runs were one shy of a program-record and the 21 runs were the most scored this year by the squad.
 
Seven different Stags tallied a hit and drove in a run as the Stags improve their MAAC record to 14-5 and record their 20th overall win. Schmalzle, JP Kuczik, Connor Scanlan, and Jake Haarde all drove in three for the Stags.
 
TJ Schmalzle and Matthew Bucciero's first inning long balls gave the Stags an early 2-0 advantage. The duo has combined for 24 homers this year with Bucciero increasing his MAAC-lead to 16.
 
The game stayed close for the first few innings with Fairfield holding a 3-1 advantage in the fifth.
 
The Stags broke the game open scoring five runs in the fifth and 13 in the sixth. Haarde had the big hit in the fifth with a three-run shot to put the score at 8-1.
 
Fairfield had their biggest inning of the year putting up a 13-spot in the sixth. Seventeen batters came to the plate with five hits and six walks. Schmalzle had two RBI singles in the frame, Scanlan lined a RBI double, and Zach Stephenson legged out a RBI triple.
 
In total, the Stags drew six walks, had five hits, and sent 17 men to the plate while seeing 73 pitches.
 
The 13 runs were one shy of tying the program record for runs in an inning set against Saint Peter's in 1986.
 
Stephenson and Schmalzle led the Stags with three hits apiece while Stephenson and Bucciero paced the team with four runs scored.
 
The two teams will play the middle game of the series with a new start time as first pitch will be on Saturday at 10:30am.