March 27, 2004
Game 1 Box Score |
Game 2 Box Score
FAIRFIELD, Conn. - Behind the solid pitching of senior Tom Maisano (Farmingdale, N.Y./Chaminade) the Fairfield University baseball team split the first Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference (MAAC) series of the 2004 season, with Marist College at Alumni Diamond, winning the opener, 5-1, and falling in the nightcap 1-0 in extra innings.
Maisano (2-0) was locked in a pitching dual, with Marist's George Heath, hurling seven innings in the first game of the afternoon, while allowing one run on six hits, and two walks. Maisano also posted five strikeouts on the afternoon to up his season total to 14. The Long Island native has 154 "K's" in his career, which is only eight behind Steve Colcord for fourth place on the school's all-time strikeout list.
Fairfield (3-8, 1-1 MAAC) broke the ice in the bottom of the fourth inning, when sophomore John Scaife (Ansonia, Conn./Ansonia) grounded out to third base, to drive home senior Antuan Barnett (Bronx, N.Y./Rice), who smacked a leadoff double to left center field.
The Red Foxes (5-15, 1-1 MAAC) pushed a run across in the top of the fifth with a RBI single by Travis Musolf. However, the Stags added four runs in the bottom of the fifth, started off by a double steal, by senior Nick Hudyma (New Britain, Conn./New Britain) who stole home for the second time this season.
After a sacrifice fly by sophomore Doug Anderson (Randolph, N.J./Delbarton), junior David Soucy (Glastonbury, Conn./Glastonbury) singled home senior Sal Mancuso.
With a 5-1 lead Maisano and senior Matt Young (Berlin, Conn./Berlin) buckled down, and kept the Red Fox bats quiet the rest of the way. Young pitched two innings of scoreless relief, and had a strikeout.
Hudyma was 2-for-4 with a run scored, and Soucy was 2-for-4 with a run batted in, to lead the Stags at the plate. Marist's Kevin Buck was 2-for-4 in the first game of the day.
In the nightcap, both Marist's Scott Chambers and Fairfield's Tim Dugan kept runs off the board, through the regulation seven innings of the second game. Chambers recorded his first win of the season, tossing a three-hit shutout, while striking out nine Fairfield hitters. Dugan pitched eight and a third innings of work, yielding one run on six hits, and two walks. Dugan recorded a career-high 11 strikeouts on the hill for the Stags.
Marist got to Dugan in the top of the ninth inning, when Bryan Towler singled through the left side of the Fairfield infield to bring home Keith Brachold for the game's winning run.
Fairfield had one last crack in the bottom of the ninth inning, when sophomore Tom Arpino (Brooklyn, N.Y./Xaverian) doubled down the left field line to give Fairfield a runner in scoring position. Arpino was lifted for sophomore Scott Parker (Basking Ridge, N.J./Ridge) who would get caught in a rundown for the first out of the inning. Chambers then struck out the next two hitters to seal the win.
Arpino was 2-for-3 in the nightcap, and Scaife went 1-for-3. Brachold was 1-for-4 with a run batted in for the Red Foxes.
The rubber-game of the three-game series will be Sunday afternoon, at Alumni Diamond. First pitch is slated for 12 p.m
