The Fairleigh Dickinson University baseball team defeated visiting Wagner College, 16-3, Friday, April 18 in Teaneck, NJ. Junior right-hander Ben Green (Plainview, NY/JFK Plainview) (Plainview, NY) worked 7.0 innings, fanning four, as the Knights improved to 8-24 overall and 3-5 in the Northeast Conference.
Junior designated hitter Zachary Sand (San Diego, CA/Mission Bay) (San Diego, CA) extended his hot streak to 8-for-10, smacking a pair of home runs, en route to a 3-for-5 effort.
The victory was bolstered by 14 hits and brought Fairleigh Dickinson to .500 at home this year (5-5).
In the bottom half of the first, Sand drove in the first run of the afternoon, as FDU jumped out to a 3-0 lead.
Wagner (13-17 overall, 5-4 NEC) struck for an unearned run in the fourth, with the Knights responding to keep a 4-1 advantage. Junior outfielder Jeff Vincent (Murrysville, PA/Franklin Regional) (Murrysville, PA) plated freshman infielder Andrew Ahn (Manhasset Hills, NY/Benjamin Cardoza) (Manahasset Hills, NY) with a sacrifice fly. Ahn kick-started the frame with a two-bagger smoked into the left-centerfield gap.
Sand sparked a three-run fifth frame with a dinger to dead centerfield. Ahn pulled a double down the left field line to drive in another run.
The Seahawks cut the deficit to 7-3, scoring a tandem of runs in the top half of the sixth. Sophomore first baseman Vin Avella (Matawan, NJ) notched a solo shot to right-centerfield. Sophomore outfielder Damian Csakai (Freehold, NJ) added a RBI base hit up the middle.
With two outs, FDU busted out for a nine-spot in the seventh, highlighted by bases-clearing triple courtesy of freshman infielder Steven LaForge (Garfield, NJ/St. Mary) (Garfield, NJ). The Knights kept things rolling with a two-run blast off the bat of Sand. The squad ultimately tallied six hits in the rally. Ahn, junior outfielder Brett Lazar (Commack, NY/Commack) (Commack, NY), and freshman outfielder Bryan Dorsey (Cheshire, CT/Cheshire) (Cheshire, CT) also tallied RBI's in the inning.
Wagner freshman southpaw Jack Rice (Middlesex, NJ) ? who entered the afternoon sporting the league's second-best ERA ? logged 4.1 innings and suffered the loss.
Knights' sophomore lefty Terry Lydecker (Pompton Lakes, NJ/Pompton Lakes) (Pompton Lakes, NJ) worked a scoreless eighth, with sophomore right-hander Michael Strachman (Roslyn Heights, NY/Roslyn) (Roslyn Heights, NY) following suit in the ninth.
Junior outfielder Matt Maher (Peekskill, NY/JFK Catholic) (Peekskill, NY) finished with a team-best four hits, flanked by Sand's three. LaForge and Ahn chipped-in multi-hit showings.
Avella accounted for three of Wagner's six hits.
Fairleigh Dickinson hosts the Seahawks for a twin bill, Saturday, April 19. A pair of seven inning games will be contested, with first pitch slated for noon.
