STATEN ISLAND, NY – Monmouth University Baseball (26-28-1) scored twice in the ninth and had the tying run at third, but the rally fell just short as Fairfield University (32-23) hung on to take the opening game of the MAAC Tournament, 6-5.

After Fairfield got on the board with an unearned run in the third on Justin Guerrera's RBI single, the Hawks responded with a pair in the fourth. Colin McCreary (Clarks Summit, PA/Abington Heights) walked leading off, and Kyle Norman (Ellicott City, MD/Good Counsel/Buffalo) dropped down a bunt that was thrown away, allowing McCreary to score and tie the game. Zach Schild (Lincroft, NJ/Middletown South) then ripped a single to left to bring in Norman and give MU the lead.

Fairfield got those runs back in the fourth, scoring on a sac fly and a base hit, before Clay Koniencki (Schwenksville, PA/Malvern Prep) tied it up again, launching his team-high ninth home run of the season to left center. The Stags took a 6-3 lead in the sixth, loading the bases with nobody out before MU nearly escaped the jam. With two away, Anthony Boselli hit a shot down third that scored two, with a third coming in on an errant throw on the play.

Monmouth rallied in the ninth, with the first two reaching before Johnny Zega (Lincroft, NJ/Middletown South) doubled inside the third base bag to cut it to a 6-4 game. With runners at second and third, Danny Long (Sellersville, PA/Pennridge) singled home another to cut it to one and put runners at the corners, but the Stags were able to turn a double play to end the game.

NOTES AND QUOTES
"Today we needed to be one pitch better. Our guys battled all day. JP hit a ball on the nose but just right at him to end the game.  We have no choice other than show up tomorrow and get after it." – Head Coach Dean Ehehalt

-Clay Koniencki hit his team-leading ninth home run of the season.
-Monmouth played Fairfield for the first time in a MAAC Tournament game, and have now played six of the other 10 schools in the league in postseason action.
-Rob Hensey made his first career MAAC Tournament start.
-Hensey and Michael Dimino were the lone Hawks to make their MAAC Tournament debuts.
-MU is now 5-9 all time in MAAC Tournament contests.
-Zach Schild posted his team leading 18^th multi-hit game this season.
-Monmouth has qualified for the MAAC Tournament in five of the six seasons since joining the league.

NUMBERS CRUNCH
-MU was outhit 12-5.
-Ryan Lillie took the loss, allowing three runs, two earned, in 2.2 innings.
-Austin Pope threw eight innings for the Stags, allowing three runs, two earned, on two hits.
-Eli Oliphant came on in relief in the ninth and recorded the save.
-Four different Hawks drove in runs on the day.

UP NEXT
-The Hawks will play the winner of today's game between #4 Marist and #5 Manhattan at 3:00 p.m. tomorrow on ESPN+.