The Fairleigh Dickinson University baseball team dropped a pair of decisions, 9-2 and 11-1, Saturday, March 22 at the University of San Francisco. The Knights slipped to 2-14, while the Dons moved to 13-10.
In the opener, FDU got on the board with a tandem of runs in the top of the second. Junior outfielder Matt Maher (Peekskill, NY/JFK Catholic) collected a base knock then swiped second and third base. Freshman designated hitter Joe Martino (Westbury, NY/W.T. Clarke) ? who crossed the dish one batter later on an error ? laced a pitch to left field to drive in Maher.
San Francisco tallied nine, unanswered runs highlighted by a three-hit, four-run fourth. The Dons also added three runs in the seventh.
Senior left-hander John O'Hara (Staten Island, NY/St. Peter's) struck out six over six innings, en route to the loss. Freshman right-hander Spencer Kelly (Rockville, MD/The Bullis School) worked a scoreless frame of relief.
USF senior lefty Matt Baugh fanned seven and allowed one earned run through seven innings of work to grab the win.
Maher recorded multiple hits.
In the nightcap, San Francisco tallied a trio of runs off Knights' sophomore right-hander Nicholas Melchiorre in the second inning, including a two-RBI double to right field by Bobby Ethel. Melchiorre logged 4.0 innings in the loss.
The Knights cut the deficit to 3-1 in the top of the third, following an RBI triple by senior infielder Luis Rosario (Bronx, NY/James Monroe). USF responded in the bottom half, as senior designated hitter Kyle Morgan deposited a pitch over the right-centerfield wall, opening up a 4-1 margin.
San Francisco tacked on runs in the fourth and fifth innings, before busting out for five runs in the sixth and seventh. A pair of RBI two-baggers capped a three-run sixth.
Dons' sophomore righty Chase Tigert started the game and fanned five before exiting after two innings. Freshman lefty Garrett Luippold earned the win sitting down four in three innings. Four home-standing hurlers combined to limit FDU to a pair of hits.
Sophomore southpaw Terry Lydecker (Pompton Lakes, NJ/Pompton Lakes) worked a scoreless eighth inning for the Knights.
Fairleigh Dickinson makes its 2008 debut at 3:30 p.m., Wednesday, March 26, taking on Manhattan College in Teaneck, NJ.
