Eighth Inning Rally Sends St. John’s Past Fairfield, 7-5

Wednesday, March 19

Fairfield, Conn. (Don and Chris Cook Field)

3 p.m.

St. John's University

8-11

Fairfield

12-6

St. John's

Fairfield

Eighth Inning Rally Sends St. John’s Past Fairfield, 7-5

3/19/2025 6:28:00 PM | Baseball

Box Score Box Score

Adam Agresti hit the go-ahead two-run double in the eighth inning

FAIRFIELD, Conn. – An eighth-inning rally pushed the St. John's baseball team (8-11) past Fairfield (12-6), 7-5, on Wednesday afternoon at Don and Chris Field in Fairfield, Conn.

Adam Agresti hit the go-ahead two-run double in the eighth inning, while Jackson Tucker and Jared Beebe each hit a two-bagger and picked up a run scored in the game. Jayder Raifstanger, Will Cowan and Luke Orbon all registered RBIs on Wednesday.

Chris Batuyios and Jacob Ruiz combined for two scoreless innings of relief out of the Bullpen, as Batuyios picked up his first win of the season. Sam Mettert earned the save, closing out the game in the bottom of the ninth.

Fairfield went up 2-0 in the first and second innings. The Stag's Dean Ferrara singled through the right side before Luke Nomura reached on an error putting runners on first and second in the opening stanza. Matt Bucciero brought home the first run of the game on a single through the right side, giving Fairfield a 1-0 lead. In the bottom of the second, the Stags doubled their advantage off a Nolan Colby solo home run, going ahead 2-0.

The Red Storm tied things up in the away half of the third stanza. Jon LeGrande reached safely on a Stag's fielding error, just ahead of Tucker doubling down the left field line, putting two runners in scoring position. Both LeGrande and Tucker scored after Beebe took first base on a bad throw by Fairfield's third baseman, tying the game, 2-2.

Brady Clark, who came on in relief of Dylan Johnson, worked himself out of trouble in the bottom of the fourth inning. After two Stags reached base on a walk and an infield single and moved to second and third on a fielder's choice, Clark neutralized the opposing scoring opportunity, popping up Nomura to right field and retiring the side.

The Stags went back on top, 4-2, in the home side of the fifth after Nick Sturino hit a two-run homer into right field, scoring Tyler Kipp who reached on a Red Storm miscue.

St. John's and Fairfield engaged in a pitcher's duel until the top of the eighth inning when Red Storm loaded the bases with two outs. Raifstanger sparked the rally, singling into center field before Beebe was plunked and Chad Falcon was issued a free pass. Cowan then walked, scoring Raifstanger, in front of Agresti doubling down the left field line and plating two Johnnies to give the Red Storm its first lead of the afternoon. Orbon capped off the inning by smacking an RBI single into center field, growing St. John's advantage to two, 6-4.

The Johnnies tacked on another run in in top of the ninth, as Raifstanger brought Cristian Bernardini home on a fielder's choice, growing their lead to three, 7-4.

Fairfield added a run on an RBI single in the bottom of the ninth to trail, 7-5, but it wouldn't be enough to overcome its deficit, as Mettert shut down the Stags for his first save of the season.

The Red Storm will head to Rock Hill, S.C., where it will take on Winthrop in a three-game set this weekend. The series will begin on Friday at 6 p.m. from The Winthrop Ballpark.