March 23, 2002

Final Stats

Fairfield, Conn.- The Marist College baseball team opened the defense of its Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference (MAAC)title this afternoon at Fairfield Univeristy, splitting a double-header. The Red Foxes won the opener 12-3, before dropping the nightcap 2-0. Marist is now 7-7 on the year and 1-1 in MAAC play.

The Red Foxes took a 3-0 lead into the bottom of the fourth inning of the first game, before the Stags struck for a pair in the fourth and then the game-tying run in the fifth inning. Marist took control of the game by scoring nine runs in the final three innings of play, starting in the visiting portion of the seventh inning. Steve O'Sullivan singled to left field, and Matt Griffiths knocked a two-run home run over the center field fence. In the eighth inning the Red Foxes crossed the plate four times including a three-run home run from John McGorty.

Ryan Kondratowicz earned the win in relief for Marist in the opener, tossing four shutout innings. Chuck Bechtel started the contest for Marist, allowing just three runs in his five innings of work.

In the nightcap Chris Tracz flirted with perfection, retiring the first 15 Stag batters he faces, taking a perfect game into the sixth inning. Sal Mancuso led off the bottom of the sixth with a single for Fairfield to break up the perfect game bid, and the Stags won the contest o na two-out homerun from Jeff Castellano

The Red Foxes return to Fairfield for the rubber game of the three-game set, Sunday, at noon.