Box Score FAIRFIELD, Conn. – After Keaton Flint's grand slam in the bottom of the sixth broke a 6-6 tie, the Sacred Heart baseball team held off a ninth inning Fairfield rally for a 10-9 victory at Alumni Diamond on Wednesday afternoon. It is the fourth straight win for the Pioneers, who have also won seven of their past eight to improve to 13-19-1. With the loss, Fairfield is now 9-25.
The grand slam was Flint's first at bat of the afternoon, as he head come on defensively in the top half of the inning. Both Kenny Byram and Ted Shaw also had multiple RBI's, as each produced two RBI doubles in a four run second inning. Byram was also one of two Pioneers with multiple hits joining Victor Sorrento, while Shaw, along with Cody Doyle, both scored two runs.
Alex Perry and Ethan Lonardelli each achieved collegiate firsts, with Perry earning his first ever win and Lonardelli preserving the victory with his first career save. Perry came on in the fifth and worked 2.2 innings, giving up three runs on three hits. Lonardelli then relieved him with a runner on in the top of the eighth, allowing two earned on two hits in the final two innings. James Taubul began the game with three scoreless frames before a three run fourth ended his line at three earned runs on five hits in four innings of work.
Mac Crispino went a perfect 4-4 at the plate with a walk and run scored, while Dan Hopkins, Dean Salpietro, and Dean Sadik each hit two run homers for the Stags. Hopkins and Sadik also both scored twice. Tim Duggan was credited with the loss as he pitched the decisive four run sixth inning.
It was PJ DeFilippo's pinch-hit walk that began the game winning rally in the sixth. Shaw followed him with a base on balls of his own, before an error loaded the bases with none out for Flint. Traveling over the left center field fence, the game winning grand slam was the senior's first home run since his sophomore season.
Two straight singles to lead off the top of the seventh led to the Fairfield getting one run closer at 10-7. Following a fly out, Kevin Radziewicz came in on a wild pitch, while Crispino moved up to second with just one away. Perry recovered to record his final two outs of afternoon, inducing a groundout before striking out the next batter to keep the SHU lead at three.
Perry walked the first hitter of the eight leading to the Pioneers to call upon Lonardelli. The freshman began his appearance by forcing a groundout, only to have an error give the Stags to have runners on first and third with zero outs. Faced with the threatening situation, Lonardelli bared down to retire the next three, as a lineout and two consecutive strikeouts stranded both runners. He ran into trouble once again in the ninth, as the leadoff man singled to begin the frame. He retired the next two before Salpietro delivered his pinch-hit home run to get Fairfield within one. They would get no closer though, as Lonardelli secured both the win and his first career save with a fly out to end the game.
Five straight batters reached with one out in the second inning to help Sacred Heart establish an early lead. Dan Schock was hit by a pitch after Sorrento singled, and the two came around for the first runs of the afternoon on Shaw's RBI double to right center. Following a Doyle walk, it was another two RBI double, this time by Byram, that doubled SHU's advantage to 4-0.
Taubl allowed one based runner in each of the first three innings without allowing a run to cross. The Stags finally got to him in the top of the fourth, recording three consecutive extra base hits with one away to pull within one. Salvo's double brought in Crispino, who had also doubled, before Hopkins delivered a two run home run inside the left field foul pole to bring the score to 4-3. Fairfield then evened things up in its next at bat. The Stags could have taken the lead if it were not for Perry's relief. He came on for Breton LaRose, who allowed three straight base runners to reach on a single, walk, and hit by pitch before a sacrifice fly tied the game. He walked the next hitter before Perry came in. With one out and the bases loaded, Perry worked his way out of the jam with consecutive fly outs.
The Pioneers took back the lead with two, two out runs in the bottom half of the inning, only to have Fairfield tie it once more in the top of the sixth. Byram's base running after a leadoff single led to the first, as he stole second and moved up to third on a groundout to first by Keith Klebart. After a strikeout, the Stags intentionally walked Zack Short, which turned out not pay off as Bryam crossed home on a wild pitch to put Sacred Heart back on top. Anthony Capozziello's double then scored Short for a 6-4 SHU advantage. Once again it was the long ball that got Fairfield back into the game. This time it was Sadik who sent a home run down the left field line, knotting the score at six.
Sacred Heart will look to carry the momentum of its recent play into the weekend, as it puts its Northeast Conference leading 6-2 record on the line Friday at Mount St. Mary's. First pitch of game one in the four game series is scheduled for 3:30 pm.
