Fairfield Wins First-Ever NCAA Baseball Postseason Game; Rider Concludes Season in Ruston Regional

6/6/2021 12:49:22 AM

Southern University – 2 | Fairfield University – 6
2021 NCAA Division I Baseball Championship – Austin Regional
UFCU Disch-Falk Field | Austin, TX

In a season of reaching new heights as a program, Fairfield University (38-4, 34-1 MAAC) added another first to their growing list of achievements, as they defeated fourth-seeded Southern University (20-30, 13-11 SWAC), 6-2, to earn their first-ever victory in the NCAA Division I Baseball Championship.

Following a lightning delay that pushed back first pitch by over three hours, Southern opened the game’s scoring in the top of the first with an RBI single from Tremaine Spears. Fairfield starting pitcher Jake Noviello would settle in right after and keep the deficit to just one run.

Matt Venuto provided Fairfield’s response in the bottom of the second, hitting a single into left field to bring home two runs and give the Stags their first lead of the game, 2-1.

Dan Ryan kickstarted a pivotal fourth inning for the Stags by singling to drive home Ryan Strollo and put Fairfield ahead, 3-1. Following a Justin Guerrera single to load the bases, Sean Cullen would hit a single up the middle to score two more runs and extend the Stags’ lead to four, 5-1.

Mike Handal tallied another run for Fairfield in the bottom of the sixth, reaching home on a muffed throw to make it 6-1 in favor of the Stags.

Southern would score one more run in the top of the ninth before Fairfield’s Nick Grabek closed out the game and secured history for the Stags.

With the victory, Fairfield earns a rematch with Arizona State in an elimination game on Sunday, June 6, at 2 p.m. EST. The winner of the elimination game will advance to play No. 2 Texas in the first of two potential Regional Final games at 8 p.m. EST.

Fairfield Notes

Fairfield improves to 1-3 in NCAA Baseball Postseason games.
This is the first win by a MAAC representative in the NCAA Division I Baseball Championship since Quinnipiac University defeated East Carolina, 5-4, in the Greenville Regional on June 1, 2019.
With his ninth victory of the season, Noviello set a new Fairfield single-season record for wins in a season. He faced 24 batters in five innings of work, giving up four hits and one run while striking out three.
Cullen and Venuto each recorded a team-high two hits and two RBI. Seven players recorded at least one hit.
John Signore, entering the game in relief of Noviello, got through two innings on just 13 pitches while surrendering one hit.
Guerrera and Strollo each recorded a stolen base.
Fairfield finished the afternoon 5-for-11 (.455) with runners in scoring position.

Rider University - 1 | University of Alabama - 3
2021 NCAA Division I Baseball Championship – Ruston Regional
J.C. Love Field at Pat Patterson Park | Ruston, LA

Rider University’s 2021 season came to a close in Ruston, LA, as the Broncs (23-18, 18-16 MAAC) fell to the University of Alabama (32-25, 12-17 SEC) by a score of 3-1.

The Broncs got out to an early start as Kyle Johnson opened the game with a lead-off double. After advancing to third, Johnson would be driven home by Sean McGeehan to give Rider a 1-0 lead.

Alabama answered in the bottom half of the second inning with an RBI double to tie the game at 1-1. The Crimson Tide would then find themselves with runners on second and third with no outs, but Broncs’ starting pitcher Frank Doelling got himself out of the jam by retiring the next three batters without conceding a run.

Bama’s William Hamiter would hit a two-run home run in the bottom of the seventh to break the tie and give the Crimson Tide a 3-1 lead. McGeehan would double in the top of the ninth, but it was not enough to spark a Broncs’ comeback.

With their second loss in the Ruston Regional, Rider is eliminated from the NCAA Division I Baseball Championship. The 2021 MAAC Baseball Champions conclude their season with a 23-18 overall record.

Rider Notes

Rider tallied seven hits against the Crimson Tide, with five Broncs coming up with hits. Kyle Johnson and Sean McGeehan led the team with two hits each. McGeehan also had the team’s only RBI on the day.
Doelling pitched 6 1/3 innings, giving up just two runs, three hits, five walks, and struck out two. Doelling would be credited with the loss.
Cal Stalzer appeared in relief pitching just 2/3 of an inning, giving up three hits and one run.
Also appearing in relief was Joe Papeo who threw the final inning for the Broncs and faced five batters, giving up one hit, one walk, and did not allow a run.
McGeehan went 4-for-8 in the Ruston Regional to lead the Broncs in hits, and added one RBI, and scored a run in Rider’s two games.
Barbiere and Priolo were the other two Broncs to record hits in both games in Ruston, going 3-for-8 and 2-for-5, respectively.

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.