The Fairleigh Dickinson University baseball team halved a doubleheader versus visiting University at Binghamton, Saturday, March 29 in Teaneck, NJ.
The Knights (3-16) out-hit their America East counterparts 10-5 in the opener, but fell, 4-3. In the nightcap, timely hitting and a stellar start from sophomore right-hander Nicholas Melchiorre (Mount Laurel, NJ) snapped a 15-game losing skid by virtue of a 4-3 victory.
In game one, lefty John Meadus (Mt. Holly, NJ/Holy Cross) (Mount Holly, NJ) yielded four hits ? one over the initial five frames. The junior worked 5.2 innings and was saddled with the loss. Meadus sat down seven, and also struck out the side in the fifth.
The Bearcats (6-14) scored in the second when their lead-off man walked then came around on a sacrifice fly.
Fairleigh Dickinson tied the contest, 1-1, in the bottom of the fourth, as freshman infielder Steven LaForge (Garfield, NJ/St. Mary) (Garfield, NJ) pulled a base knock through the right side, plating freshman catcher Erik Pollag (Sicklerville, NJ/Paul VI) (Sicklerville, NJ) who started the frame with a rope to centerfield.
In the sixth, Binghamton rallied for a trio of runs. Freshman outfielder Peter Bregartner (East Islip, NY) deposited a double in the left-centerfield gap to grab a 2-1 advantage. The next hitter, sophomore outfielder Joe Charron (Schaghticoke, NY) followed suit two a one-out, RBI double. Freshman infielder Brian Ivan (Toronto, Ontario) then brought in the game-winning run with a single.
The Knights cut the deficit to 4-3, scoring a pair of runs in the seventh when senior outfielder John Paganotti (Staten Island, NY/St. Joseph By The Sea) (Staten Island, NY) drove in a run and junior outfielder Matt Maher (Peekskill, NY/JFK Catholic) (Peekskill, NY) slapped an RBI single through the right side. Two FDU runners were stranded to conclude the contest.
Bearcats senior right-hander Zachary Groh (Reading, PA) tossed 6.0 innings to grab the win. Junior righty Greg Lane Jr. (Binghamton, NY) earned the save, collecting the final three outs.
Paganotti notched two hits, as did Maher. Junior infielder Jeff Vincent (Murrysville, PA/Franklin Regional) (Murrysville, PA) reached three times.
In the nightcap, the Knights struck first, moving ahead, 1-0, in the bottom of the third inning. Vincent slipped a hit inside the third base bag and stretched the effort into two with a headfirst slide to avoid the tag. Two batters later, junior infielder Zachary Sand (San Diego, CA/Mission Bay) (San Diego, CA) grounded out to score Vincent.
In the fifth, FDU opened up a 4-0 margin. Vincent stroked an RBI single and senior infielder Luis Rosario (Bronx, NY/James Monroe) (Bronx, NY) also brought home a run. Sand lifted a hit to right field, where a defensive miscue allowed Rosario to come all the way around.
Melchiorre took a no-hitter into the sixth inning. He got the first out of the frame, before allowing a walk, followed by a seeing-eye single courtesy of Bregartner. Charron tacked on a three-spot in the Bearcats' next at-bat, going yard.
Binghamton junior southpaw Jeff Dennis (North Syracuse, NY) took the loss, logging 6.0 innings.
Vincent finished with a multi-hit effort, coupled with Sand's tandem of RBI. Sophomore right-hander Corey Jeffers (Woodbine, NJ/St. Augustine Prep) (Woodbine, NJ) tossed the seventh inning, inducing a game-ending twin killing to register his first collegiate save
The four-game set concludes with a pair of seven-inning ball games beginning at noon, Sunday, March 30.
