Day One Recap of 2019 MAAC Baseball Championship
No. 3 Fairfield University – 6 | No. 6 Monmouth University – 5
Game 1: 2019 MAAC Baseball Championship
Richmond County Bank Ballpark | Staten Island, NY
Austin Pope went eight innings while allowing three runs as Fairfield (32-23) held on to win the opening game of the 2019 MAAC Baseball Championship, 6-5, over Monmouth (26-28-1). Fairfield advances to play No. 2 Quinnipiac Thursday at 11 a.m.
Fairfield Notes
• Pope struck out four over eight innings to pick up his fourth win of the season.
• The eight innings are a new season-high for the junior.
• Anthony Boselli had a two-RBI single in the sixth that brought home the fifth and six runs for the Stags.
• Five different Stags recorded multi-hit games; Giacomo Brancato, Justin Guerrera, Dylan Reynolds, and Dan and Tom Ryan.
• Eli Oliphant notched his sixth save of the season after coming on in relief of Ian Halpin in the ninth.
Monmouth Notes
• Monmouth will play Marist in an elimination game Thursday at 3 p.m.
• Ryan Lillie (1-4) took the loss after allowing three runs—two earned—in relief of starter Rob Hensey.
• Clay Koniencki hit his ninth home run of the season and scored twice while going 1-for-3 with a walk.
• Zach Schild went 2-for-4 with an RBI and a run scored.
No. 5 Manhattan College – 6 | No. 4 Marist College - 2
Game 2: 2019 MAAC Baseball Championship
Richmond County Bank Ballpark | Staten Island, NY
Nick Cimillo drove in four runs and John Cain pitched eight innings of two-run baseball to get Manhattan (25-31) past Marist (27-25), 6-2. Manhattan advanced to play Canisius at 7 p.m.
Manhattan Notes
• Cain (9-4) fanned nine Red Foxes while scattering six hits.
• Cimillo’s three-run home run in the fifth was the freshmen’s seventh of the season.
• Sam Franco and Jonathan Barditch—both All-Rookie Team selections—had three hits and scored a run.
• Manhattan scored four times in the fifth to take a 5-0 lead.
Marist Notes
• Both of the Red Foxes’ runs came on a two-out two-run double from Tyler Kapuscinski in the sixth inning.
• Alex Pansini (5-4) went eight innings and struck seven.
• Marist will play Monmouth at 3 p.m. on Thursday in an elimination game.
No. 5 Manhattan College – 5 | No. 1 Canisius College 3
Game 3: 2019 MAAC Baseball Championship
Richmond County Bank Ballpark | Staten Island, NY
Manhattan’s (26-31) T.J. Stuart pitched a complete game as the Jaspers won their second game of the day, 5-3 over Canisius (24-28). The Jaspers will play next on Friday at 11 a.m.
Manhattan Notes
• Stuart (8-5) struck out nine Golden Griffins and allowed only two earned runs.
• Shawn Blake and Nick Cimillo had two RBIs each. Cimillo finished the day with six.
• Blake also scored twice while going 3-for-4.
• The Jaspers will play the winner of No. 2 Quinnipiac & No. 3 Fairfield on Friday for a berth in the championship game.
• Manhattan last won two games at the same MAAC Championship in 2016.
Canisius Notes
• The Golden Griffins got on the board first with a solo homer off the batter’s eye in center field from Stephen Bennett in the second.
• Canisius had just four hits but drew seven walks and sent at least four hitters to plate in all but two innings.
• Andrew Sipowicz (6-2) went 6.2 innings while striking out five and allowing four earned runs.
About the Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference:
With 11 institutions strongly bound by the sound principles of quality and integrity in academics and excellence in athletics, the Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference (MAAC) is in its 38
th year of competition during the 2018-19 academic year. Current Conference members include: Canisius College, Fairfield University, Iona College, Manhattan College, Marist College, Monmouth University, Niagara University, Quinnipiac University, Rider University, Saint Peter’s University, and Siena College.