Fairfield is 2-8 against Rodriguez since April of 2021 but they'll have a chance to close the gap a little bit on Friday. The Falcons will look to defend their home field against the Mustangs at 4:00 p.m. Fairfield is strutting in with some hitting muscle as they've averaged 10 runs per game this season.
Fairfield's pitching crew heads into the match hoping to repeat the dominance they displayed on Thursday. Everything went their way against West Campus as they made off with a 10-0 win. The result was nothing new for the Falcons, who have now won 14 contests by six runs or more so far this season.
Zach O'Reilly
| 04/10/25 vs West Campus | 8 |
| 03/20/25 @ Foothill | 7 |
| 03/15/25 vs Vanden | 2 |
| 03/07/25 @ Vacaville Christian | 1 |
| 03/06/25 vs Florin | 2 |
| + 9 more games |
Zach O'Reilly made a big impact no matter where he played. On the mound, he didn't allow a single earned run and allowed only one hit while striking out eight over five innings pitched. That's the most strikeouts he has posted since back in March of 2024. He was also solid in the batter's box, scoring a run while going 2-for-3.
In other batting news, the team relied heavily on Tristen Smith, who scored three runs and stole three bases while going 2-for-3. That's the most stolen bases he has posted since back in March. Devin Knox was another key player, scoring a run and stealing a base while going 2-for-3.
Fairfield was getting hits left and right and finished the game having posted a batting average of .417. That was just more of the same: they've now posted a batting average of .300 or higher in seven consecutive games.
Meanwhile, it was close, but on Wednesday Rodriguez sidestepped Liberty for a 5-4 victory. The win made it back-to-back victories for the Mustangs.
Bennett Giaramitta looked comfortable as he tossed three innings while giving up no earned runs off two hits. He has become a key player for Rodriguez: the team is 6-2 when he allows at most one earned run, but 4-5 otherwise.
At the plate, Jack Jacobson was excellent, scoring a run while going 2-for-4. He also brought in three RBI, which is notable because Rodriguez is undefeated when he posts at least three RBI, but 6-7 otherwise. Another player making a difference was Joey Peppard, who scored a run and stole a base while going 2-for-3.
Fairfield has been performing incredibly well recently as they've won six of their last seven matchups. That's provided a nice bump to their 16-5 record this season. Those wins came thanks in part to their hitting performance across that stretch, as they averaged 11.1 runs over those games. As for Rodriguez, their victory bumped their record up to 10-7.
The pitchers for both teams better look sharp on Friday as neither team is afraid to steal. Fairfield has been swiping bases left and right this season, having averaged 4.1 stolen bases per game. However, it's not like Rodriguez struggles in that department as they've been averaging an even more impressive 3.6 stolen bases. The only question left is which team can snag more.
Fairfield beat Rodriguez 6-2 in their previous matchup back in March of 2024. Do the Falcons have another victory up their sleeve, or will the Mustangs turn the tables on them? We'll have the answer soon enough.
