NEW YORK (Interstat) — The Fairfield Stags capitalized on a chaotic first inning and rode a dominant performance from their bullpen to a 6-4 victory over the Saint John’s Red Storm on Tuesday afternoon at Jack Kaiser Stadium.

The win, which concluded in the evening under the lights, improved Fairfield’s record to 3-9, while Saint John’s fell to 4-11. The result defied the pregame projections from Interstat, which had given the Red Storm a slight edge and predicted a low-scoring affair.

The game’s decisive sequence occurred before many fans had settled into their seats. Facing Saint John’s starter Tommy Conley in the top of the first, Fairfield’s first three batters — TJ Schmalzle, Luke Nomura and Matt Bucciero — reached via two walks and a hit-by-pitch to load the bases with no outs. The Stags then scored twice without the benefit of a hit. JP Kuczik and Connor Scanlan each drove in a run with a fielder’s choice, staking Fairfield to a 2-0 lead without putting a ball in play out of the infield.

Saint John’s responded forcefully in the bottom of the third, erasing the deficit and taking the lead. After a run scored on Lewis Rodriguez’s groundout, catcher Adam Agresti delivered the key blow, a two-run homer that also scored Jayder Raifstanger to put the Red Storm ahead 3-2. Dylan Fitzsimmons followed with a single and scored on Shaun McMillan’s double, capping a four-run inning and giving Saint John’s a 4-2 advantage.

The momentum shifted permanently in the middle innings, however, as Fairfield’s relief corps took over. After the Red Storm’s four-run third, six Stags relievers combined to throw 6 2/3 perfect innings. Harrison Engle, Will Youngman, Jimmy Mulvaney, Alex Frank, Jack Sheldon and Ryan Maiorano allowed zero hits and zero walks from the third inning onward, retiring 20 consecutive batters to close the game.

Harrison Engle was credited with the win after pitching two scoreless innings with two strikeouts. Will Youngman, Jimmy Mulvaney, Alex Frank, Jack Sheldon and Ryan Maiorano all followed with hitless relief. Ryan Maiorano earned the save with a perfect ninth inning.

That lockdown pitching allowed Fairfield to methodically rally. The Stags cut the deficit to 4-3 in the sixth when Dom Camera’s sacrifice fly scored Jake Haarde, who had singled and advanced on an error.

Fairfield then seized control for good in the seventh, taking advantage of a passed ball and a key intentional walk. TJ Schmalzle led off with a double, advanced to third on a passed ball, and scored on Luke Nomura’s double to tie the game. After an intentional walk to Matt Bucciero loaded the bases, Connor Scanlan drew a walk to force in the go-ahead run. Payten Wawruck then added a crucial insurance run with a sacrifice fly, making it 6-4.

Saint John’s starter Tommy Conley took the loss, allowing two earned runs on three hits over four innings. The Red Storm outhit Fairfield 10 to 6, with Shaun McMillan collecting three hits, but all 10 hits came in the first three innings before Fairfield’s bullpen silenced the lineup.

The Stags’ victory snapped a two-game skid and provided a boost ahead of their Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference opener this weekend against Manhattan. Saint John’s looks to regroup Wednesday when it hosts Marist before embarking on a road trip to Charlotte.