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Freshman Ryan Plourde had four RBIs over the weekend, leading the Stags to their first three game sweep of an opponent this year, and their first since 2009, when the Stags took three from Siena College.
In the first game of a double header on Saturday, junior pitcher Scott Warwick struck out 10 and walked only three in 6 2/3 innings, as the Stags rolled to a 6-2 victory.
Senior Chris Horning hit a pair of RBI doubles, and Tucker Nathans, Ryan Furbeck, and Larry Cornelia each had an RBI apiece.
After giving up a leadoff double to begin the game, Warwick then settled down and got to work, retiring the next 11 batters he faced, and not giving up a hit until the sixth inning.
He got into some trouble in the seventh, and after loading the bases with a walk, Mark Bordonaro relieved Warwick after 113 pitches.
Bordonaro gave up a two-run single before getting out of the inning, and completing the 2 1/3 inning save, his second of the season.
In the nightcap, the Stags used their offense and took advantage of Niagara’s mistakes to get the victory.
Niagara scored two in the top of the first, but Fairfield answered with four runs of their own in the bottom half of the inning.
After an Anthony Hajjar RBI single and a bases loaded balk which allowed Mark Skrapits to score, Ryan Plourde hit a two-run double to left center to put the Stags ahead 4-2.
Niagara tied the score in the third, but Fairfield came up with four in the bottom of the fourth, thanks in part to two errors by the Purple Eagles’ defense.
Skrapits and Devito each had an RBI in the inning, while Nathans and Tyler Wosleger scored on errors to put the Stags up 8-4.
Niagara took the lead in the sixth, powered by a three-run triple by rightfielder Adam Wagner, who would later score the tying run. A sacrifice fly by Brian Deering put the Purple Eagles up 9-8.
The Stags would take the lead for good in the bottom of the seventh. A throwing error and a hit by pitch put two runners on for the Stags. Cornelia then hit a pop fly in the infield with two outs, seemingly ending the inning.
Yet the Purple Eagles committed their fifth error of the game, and the ball fell to the ground, allowing the runners to score the tying and eventual winning runs.
Sunday’s game proved to be the least heart-wrenching of the series, as the Stags cruised to a 12-1 win. Scott Gussaroff pitched seven innings, giving up six hits and striking out 10, while only walking one. Plourde went 4-4 and added two more RBIs on Sunday, in addition to a run-saving catch over his shoulder in right field.
Tucker Nathans, last week’s MAAC player of the week, had two hits and scored two runs while driving in one.
Senior Carmine DeVito had what appeared to be a grand slam in the bottom of the seventh, but was called out when he passed Nick Piccarillo on the base path. All three runs were allowed to score however, and the Stags pushed across five that inning to go ahead 11-1.
The Stags have won four games in a row for the first time this season.
They host Yale on Wednesday at Alumni Diamond at 3:30 p.m., before taking on Central Connecticut State on April 15-16.
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