WAPPINGER FALLS, N.Y. – The Fairfield University Baseball team fell to the top-seeded Rider Broncs 5-1 in the winners bracket final of the 2026 MAAC Championships. The Stags will now drop to the elimination bracket final taking on the winner of Niagara and Marist tonight at 7pm.
Rider scored the first five runs of the game, plating scores in the second, third, and fourth innings. Kyle Neri and Peter Crespo highlighted those frames with home runs to put the score at 5-0.
The Stags threatened to get right back in the game in the bottom of the fifth, drawing three-straight walks. The Broncs, however, would pick a runner off of second to get the first out of the inning. After
Ryan Paine reached on an infield error, Fairfield would have the bases loaded with just one out.
The Rider reliever would strike out the next hitter for the second out in the frame.
Nolan Colby got hit by a pitch to force in Fairfield's first run of the day. Christian Aiello would end the bases loaded jam with a groundout to first.
The Stags built a threat in the next inning with a single and a walk, but Aiello would get the next two batters to get out unscathed.
The bullpen duo of
Ryan Maiorano and
Joseph Chambers combined for 4.1 shutout frames with Chambers tossing the final three.
Fairfield will still have a chance to reach the Championship Series as they compete in the Elimination Bracket Final against the winner of Niagara and Marist tonight at 7pm.
