April 19, 2006
Game One Box Score | Game Two Box Score | Photo Gallery
WEST HAVEN, Conn. - Josh Cox (Gainesville, Fla.) stole six bases and scored four runs leading the Bulldogs (23-14) to a doubleheader sweep of the Fairfield Stags (11-20). Yale took the front end of the twin bill 5-1 and the nightcap 6-3.
The Bulldogs wasted little time in the opening game, scoring a run during their first at bat. Cox coaxed a walk from Stag starter Steve Tyburski and promptly stole second base. Tyburski also issued a free pass to P.J. Gorynksi (Queens, N.Y.) to put runners on first and second. The Elis then pulled off a double-steal to move both runners in scoring position. Jake Doyle (Wilmington, Del.) followed with an RBI groundout to give Yale the lead. He drove in four on the day to extend his team-best total to 31 RBIs.
Fairfield briefly tied the contest at 1-1 in the top of the third after Tyler Birritella scored on an Albie DeSimone force out, but the Bulldogs responded in the bottom of the frame, taking the lead for good on a Doyle's second RBI of the game, this time via a sacrifice fly to plate Gorynski.
A costly fielding error in the fourth inning would lead to three unearned Yale runs. Sophomore Dan Soltman (Evanston, Ill.) reached on a fielding error by Stag second baseman Brian Schappert. He then stole second and advance to third on a grounder to the right side from Brandon Josselyn (Hanson, Mass.). Cox then drew his second walk of the game and Gorynski followed with a two-run single up the middle. Marc Sawyer concluded the scoring one batter later, driving Gorynski home with a double to centerfield.
Senior Mike Elias (Alexandra, Va.) picked up the win to improve to 2-1. He started and allowed two hits over three innings with one run, one walk and four strikeouts. Chris Walsh (Westwood, Mass.), John Henry Davis (Southbridge, Mass.), Brian Irving (Hamden, Conn.) and Adam Barrick (Freeport, N.Y.) all pitched scoreless innings of relief in the 5-1 win.
Tyburski (1-4) took the loss giving up five runs, two earned, over four innings on six hits, four walks and one strikeout.
Fairfield jumped on game two starter Stefan Schropp (Ft. Myers, Fla.) for two runs on four consecutive hits in the opening frame. Shropp did retire the first man he faced, but then was tagged for four singles and a walk before recovering to get out of the inning.
The Bulldog offence tied the game at 2-2 in the bottom of the inning thanks to RBI hits from Sawyer and Doyle. Cox opened the inning by drawing a walk and stealing second. He scored on Sawyer's 15th double of the season two batters later. Doyle then plated Sawyer with a shot to left center.
After a scoreless second inning, both squads put up a run in the third inning.
Fairfield's run was unearned as leadoff man Doug Anderson singled and moved up to second on a fielding error by Cox. He arrived at third shortly thereafter on a passed ball. Ryan Lavarnway (Woodland Hills, Calif.) then robbed Tom Arpino of a hit, making a catch after a headlong dive at a sinking line drive in short right field. Aprino got credit for the sacrifice fly however, as Anderson alertly tagged up and scored just ahead of Lavarnway's relay throw home to put Fairfield up 3-2. The freshman made a second spectacular diving catch in the fourth inning, robbing Patrick Hoban of a hit.
Yale scored after a pair of two-out doubles in its half from Doyle and designated hitter John Janco (Cannonsburg, Pa.). After Doyle doubled down the line in left, Janco jumped all over the first pitch he saw from reliever Dan Breen, lacing it to the wall in right center. Doyle scored easily from second to tie the game at 3-3.
Cox put Yale up for good in the fourth inning, singling home Soltman to give Yale a 4-3 lead. The Elis tacked on another run in the inning on a Doyle RBI single before closing out the scoring in the fifth on a pinch-hit RBI base knock from Eric Rasmussen (Brewster, Mass.).
That would be all the support the Yale pitching staff needed, as Steve Gilman (Annandale, N.Y.), Barrick, Matt Fealey (Queens, N.Y.) and Brett Rosenthal (Irving, Texas) retired 12 consecutive batters to end the game.
Gilman (1-0) picked up the win and Rosenthal (11) the save. Breen (1-4) was saddled with the loss for Fairfield.
Yale returns to action on Saturday with the first of two crucial Ivy League noon doubleheaders at Dartmouth.
