Box Score

BRONX, NY—Fairfield rolled to a 10-3 win baseball win Thursday against NJIT in a game hosted by the Stags at Fordham University's Houlihan Field.
 
With Fairfield's on-campus field in Connecticut not ready for game action due to the extended winter weather this year, the Stags were the nominal home team Thursday and they built a 9-0 lead through the first four innings, with two runs in the second inning, four in the third and three in the fourth. The winners tacked on another run in the sixth. NJIT scored two runs in the sixth inning and another in the eighth, but the visitors were out of contention the last half of the game.
 
As is common practice in non-conference college weekday games, Fairfield (5-9) used six different pitchers, none more than the three innings logged by the starter and winning pitcher Jeremy Soule (1-0). The junior right-hander allowed a hit, a walk and no runs, while striking out four. Three Stag relievers worked hitless days—LHP Tim Duggan (2 innings), RHP Kyle Dube (1.1 innings), and RHP Joe Randall (1 inning).
 
NJIT used five pitchers, with redshirt senior LHP Austin McAuliffe, usually a relief pitcher, starting and taking the loss after lasting 1.1 innings and allowing two runs on four hits, with a walk and a strikeout. The only Highlander pitcher to avoid allowing at lead one run was the fifth one, junior LHP Tyler Kapp, who retired all six batters he faced, striking out one.
 
With 12 hits, five walks, and three hit-by-pitch, Fairfield had an abundance of offensive stars, as two players—C Sebastian Salvo and CF Alex Witkus—had three hits each and DH Jake Salpietro and SS Sal Ciccone added two hits apiece. Salpietro's two hits were a one-out double in Fairfield's big four-run third inning and a home run leading off the bottom of the fourth inning, a frame that saw the Stags added three runs to their score. Ciccone and Witkus each drove in two runs. In addition to Salpietro, LF Billy Zolga (1-for-3) and Salvo doubled for the Stags.
 
3B Mike Rampone (2-for-4) was the only Highlander with more than one hit and he was credited with the only two runs batted in for NJIT, as well. He singled to drive in LF Teddy Bickert (1-for-4), who had doubled ahead of him in the sixth inning and he and RF Matt Weckerle and Rampone hit back-to-back doubles to create the NJIT run in the top of the eighth inning.
 
Salvo and Witkus each hit RBI singles for Fairfield in the second inning. Runs batted in for Fairfield in the third inning were credited to Salvo on a single, 3B Dean Sadik on an infield ground out, and Ciccone on a single. Another run came home on a balk.
 
In the fourth inning, Salpietro hit his leadoff home run to right center field, Ciccone picked up an RBI on a ground out, Witkus had a run-scoring single.
 
After NJIT's two-run top of the sixth inning on Rampone's run-scoring single and a Fairfield passed ball allowed another score, the Stags answered with a run in the bottom half, with 1B Jack Giannini getting the RBI on a fielder's choice.
 
Having played Fairfield of the Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference on Thursday, NJIT will continue with another MAAC foe, Rider this weekend. The Highlanders will host the Broncs at Bears and Eagles Riverfront Stadium in a doubleheader slated to start at noon on Saturday and then NJIT will visit Rider in Lawrenceville, NJ, near Trenton, for a single 1 pm game on Sunday.