Fairfield, Rider Fall in NCAA Baseball Regional Openers
Fairfield University - 6 | Arizona State University - 7
2021 NCAA Division I Baseball Championship – Austin Regional
UFCU Disch-Falk Field | Austin, TX
In their first NCAA Division I Baseball Championship game since 2016, Fairfield University resumed a historic season that includes earning the MAAC’s first-ever at-large selection into the tournament. The Stags (37-4, 34-1 MAAC) would take a one-run lead into the bottom of the ninth against the region’s No. 2 seed, Arizona State University (33-20, 16-14 Pac-12), but would ultimately fall in walk-off fashion by a final score of 7-6.
Matt Handal would not waste any time for Fairfield, launching a leadoff home run out to right field to get the Stags on the scoreboard, 1-0.
Arizona State would respond with four runs over the third and fourth innings, including a two-run homer from Jack Moss in the bottom of the fourth.
The Stags would cut the Sun Devils’ lead to two runs, 4-2, in the top of the sixth with a Charlie Pagliarini double that scored Justin Guerrera from second base. The Stags would load up the bases, but Arizona State would end the threat before they could score another run.
Fairfield would take the lead in the seventh inning, beginning with a wild pitch that scored Handal to make it a one-run deficit, 4-3. After loading up the bases for the second straight inning, Matt Venuto would draw a walk to bring in Guerrera and tie the game, 4-4. Ryan Strollo would manage to do the same on the next at-bat and put Fairfield ahead, 5-4.
Fairfield would add to their lead in the top of the eighth with an RBI single from Sean Cullen that would bring Guerrera home for the third time and make it a 6-4 game. Arizona State would strike back in the bottom half of the inning with an RBI double from Sean McLain that would bring Fairfield’s lead back to one, 6-5.
In the bottom of the ninth, Arizona State would manage to load the bases and score the tying run on a hit by pitch. McLain would then come to the plate on the next at-bat and hit a walk-off single to win the game for the Sun Devils.
With the loss, Fairfield will play Southern University on Saturday, June 5, at 2 p.m. EST.
Fairfield Notes
- Handal’s home run to open the game was his eighth of the season.
- Fairfield starting pitcher Trey McLoughlin would leave the game after 6 1/3 innings of work, surrendering four runs and five hits.
- Guerrera would finish the day 4-for-5, leading the game in both hits and runs scored (3).
- Five players each recorded an RBI: Cullen, Handal, Pagliarini, Strollo, and Venuto.
- Fairfield out-hit Arizona State for the evening, 13-10.
Rider University - 2 | No. 16 Louisiana Tech - 18
2021 NCAA Division I Baseball Championship – Ruston Regional
J.C. Love Field at Pat Patterson Park | Ruston, LA
Rider University (23-17, 18-16 MAAC) fell to Louisiana Tech (41-18, 22-8 C-USA) in the second game of the Ruston Regional by a score of 18-2. The Bulldogs jumped out to an early lead as they plated three runs in the bottom of the first inning. Louisiana Tech would then find themselves with a 9-0 lead through six innings. The Broncs would then answer back in the top of the seventh as they would score twice to cut the deficit. In the eighth inning, Louisiana Tech would go on to score nine in the bottom of half of the inning to increase their lead to a score of 18-2, which would go on to be the final score.
With the loss, Rider will face the University of Alabama (31-25, 12-17 SEC) in the first elimination game of the Ruston Regional on Saturday, June 5, at 3 p.m. EST.
Rider Notes
- Four Broncs tallied the team’s six hits with Jake Barbiere, and Sean McGeehan leading the way with two hits each. Brian Skettini and Lou Priolo would each tally a hit apiece.
- Skettini would record the Broncs’ first RBI with a single in the top of the seventh that drove in Barbiere.
- David Bermudez would draw a walk after the Skettini single to load the bases for the Broncs. Priolo would then take a hit by a pitch and the Broncs’ second run would walk in.
- Five pitchers would appear in the game for Rider, with Pete Soporowski getting the start. Soporowski went 1 2/3 innings, giving up five runs and six hits as he faced 13 batters.
- Sebastian Williamson would pitch 5 1/3 innings of relief, scattering five hits, giving up four runs, and striking out two. Also appearing in relief were Danny Kirwin, Kyle Smith, and Frank DelGuercio who combined to surrender three hits, three walks, and nine runs, while striking out two.
For more information on the 2021 NCAA Division I Baseball Championship, visit
www.ncaa.com/baseball.
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) celebrates its 40
th year of competition during the 2020-21 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.