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Box Score 2 JERSEY CITY, N.J. – Fairfield swept a Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference (MAAC) baseball doubleheader against Saint Peter's on Saturday. The Stags won the opener 11-3 and then took the nightcap 12-2.
Rob Moore (Ridge, N.Y./Longwood) paced the Peacocks (6-28, 1-10 MAAC) with five hits, two runs scored and an RBI. Mike Ionta (Westfield, N.J./Westfield) posted four hits, two runs scored and an RBI while Nick Ciocco (Cherry Hill, N.J./Cherry Hill) added two hits and a run scored in the second game.
Drew Arciulo powered the Stags (18-18, 9-3 MAAC) with six hits, three runs scored and two RBIs. Kevin Radziewcz added three hits, four runs scored and three RBIs while Mac Crispino registered four hits, five RBIs and two runs scored on the afternoon.
In the nightcap, the Peacocks jumped out to the lead only to see Fairfield score 11 of the final 12 runs to earn the win.
Saint Peter's grabbed a 1-0 lead with a run in the second. Moore singled to left field to open the frame and James Spadaccini (Butler, N.J./Butler) walked. After a failed pickoff allowed Moore to get to third on an error, Jason Midkiff (Wanaque, N.J./Paramus Catholic) plated Moore on an RBI fielder's choice.
The Peacocks added a run in the third to extend the lead to two runs. Ciocco singled to left and moved to second on a sacrifice bunt before Ionta put runners at the corners with an infield single. With two outs, Moore singled up the middle to bring home Ciocco for the 2-0 lead.
Two runs in the fourth by the Stags tied the game at 2. Troy Scocca got Fairfield on the scoreboard with an RBI fielder's choice. The visitors had runners at the corners with one out and Saint Peter's seemed to get a break with a pickoff of the runner on first, but a passed ball allowed the tying run to score.
Crispino gave the Stags a 3-2 edge with an RBI single to center field in the fifth only to see the Peacocks answer in the bottom of the frame to knot the game at 3. Ionta reached on a bunt single before Moore singled through the right side with one out. Spadaccini loaded the bases with a single to right field. Midkiff then hit a ball past a diving second baseman into right field to score Ionta while Moore was thrown out at the plate attempting to score from second to keep the game tied.
Fairfield then scored three times in the sixth to take the lead for good at 6-3 thanks to an RBI single through the left side by Conti and a two-run single to left field by Radziewicz.
The Stags posted five runs in the seventh to seal the 11-3 win. After Jack Gethings started the rally with a two-run double to right center, Conti hit an RBI single to left and Drew Arciuolo smacked a run-scoring triple and Radziewicz hit an RBI groundout.
Willie Krajnik (Lydhurst, N.J./Saint Mary) took the loss in the nightcap.
In the opener, Fairfield jumped out to a 7-1 lead en route to a 12-2 victory.
A Crispino sacrifice fly and a Scocca RBI single up the middle got the scoring started in the first for a 2-0 lead for the Stags.
Tracey had a run-scoring single down the left field line and a second run scored on an error in the third to extend the Fairfield lead to 4-0.
An error aided the Stags to score its first run of a three-run sixth while a Conti RBI groundot and a Dan Hopkins plated a run on a sacrifice fly for a 7-0 advantage.
Saint Peter's got on the scoreboard with a run in the sixth. Ionta singled up the middle, moved to third on Spadaccini single to right field and touched home on Midkiff's RBI single to left center to cut the margin to 7-1.
Fairfield added five runs in the eighth to take a 12-1 margin. Brendan Tracey plated a run after he was hit by the pitch with the bases loaded before Crispino hit a bases-clearing three-run triple and Arciuolo hit an RBI single through the left side.
In the bottom of the eighth, the Peacocks registered a run to set the final score at 12-2. Moore doubled down the left field line and came around to score on Ionta's RBI single up the middle.
John Leiter (Toms River, N.J./Toms River South) took the loss in the first game.
Saint Peter's and Fairfield conclude their three-game series on Sunday with a nine-inning game. First pitch is 12 p.m.
