Baseball Falls at Fairfield, 10-8

Fairfield, Conn. – (March 16, 2024) – Despite scoring eight runs on Saturday, the Fordham baseball team ran into a historic day for Fairfield's Ethan Hibbard, as Hibbard tied a Fairfield single game record by hitting three home runs in the game to led the Stags to a 10-8 win over the Rams at Alumni Diamond in Connecticut.
 
The loss snaps Fordham's three-game win streak, dropping the Rams to 5-12 on the season.
 
Fairfield opened with a 4-0 lead, scoring twice in both the first and second innings.  Ethan Hibbard got things started with a two-run home run to right center in the first inning, while Ryan Strollo had a two-run double in the second inning.
 
The Rams answered with a four-run third inning to knock Fairfield starter Kyle Lesler out of the game.  After a lead-off single by Chris Genaro and a walk to Ryan Thiesse, Daniel Bucciero laced an RBI-double to left center to score Genaro.  The Rams then loaded the bases, scoring runs on a Steve Luttazi hit by pitch, a sacrifice fly by T.J. Wachter, and a Cian Sahler RBI-single to knot the game at four.
 
The tie game did not last long, as Hibbard hit his second two-run home run of the game in the bottom of the third, while Matt Bucciero connected on a solo home run to right for a 7-4 lead.
 
Hibbard wasn't finished tormenting the Rams, drilling his third home run of the game to center in the bottom of the sixth, as Fairfield extended their lead to 9-4.
 
The teams exchanged runs in the seventh to put the score at 10-5.  Fordham attempted a final rally, scoring a run in the eighth on an RBI-single by Sahler and getting a two-run double in the ninth by Wachter, making it a 10-8 game.  However, Sahler, who was the tying run, flew out to left to end the game.
 
For Fordham, Bucciero was 2-for-5 with a double, two runs scored, and an RBI, while Sahler was 2-for-5 with a pair of RBI.  Wachter finished 1-for-3 with a double and three RBI.  Koen Smith (0-1) took the loss, allowing seven runs on eight hits in three innings of work.
 
Fordham wraps up the round robin weekend with Army West Point and Fairfield on Sunday with an 11:30 AM game against the Black Knights and a 3:00 PM game against the Stags.