The Fairleigh Dickinson University baseball team was upended, 11-10, by visiting Sacred Heart University, Friday, April 25 in Teaneck, NJ. A trio of three-run frames by the Pioneers (7-30 overall, 5-8 Northeast Conference) sent the Knights to 9-28 overall and 4-8 in league play.
Sacred Heart jumped ahead, 1-0, as freshman infielder MJ Schifano (Monroe, NY) doubled to start the top of the first, then came around two batters later on a sacrifice fly.
The Knights staged a two-out rally in the bottom half of the second inning. Senior infielder Luis Rosario (Bronx, NY/James Monroe) (Bronx, NY) walked to start the frame, with junior outfielder Matt Maher (Peekskill, NY/JFK Catholic) (Peekskill, NY) stroking a single to right field. Following back-to-back outs, freshman catcher Erik Pollag (Sicklerville, NJ/Paul VI) (Sicklerville, NJ) pulled a 3-2 pitch through the right side to plate a run, followed by an RBI bunt single by freshman outfielder Bryan Dorsey (Cheshire, CT/Cheshire) (Cheshire, CT).
SHU sophomore infielder JJ Edwards (Endwell, NY) one-hopped a two-out, two-RBI double off the right-centerfield fence to take a 3-2 advantage in the third. Junior infielder Tyler Santos (Johnson City, NY) sent a base knock past a diving Rosario to extend things in favor of the visitors, 4-2.
In the bottom of the fifth, junior outfielder Jeff Vincent (Murrysville, PA/Franklin Regional) (Murrysville, PA) and freshman infielder Steven LaForge (Garfield, NJ/St. Mary) (Garfield, NJ) collected two-straight singles. The 1-2 student-athletes in the line-up orchestrated a double steal to push into scoring position. Junior infielder Zachary Sand (San Diego, CA/Mission Bay) (San Diego, CA) capitalized by delivering a two-out base knock through the left side, en route to cutting the deficit to 5-4.
Pioneers junior outfielder Paul Schmidt (Amityville, NY) went yard to right-centerfield in the sixth, plating Santos, who registered a lead-off double. The ensuing hitter, freshman outfielder Matt Fitton (Lebanon, CT), launched a prodigious solo shot to right, resulting in an 8-4 margin.
Pollag lined a base hit to left-centerfield to score Dorsey in the sixth, creating a three-run contest.
With the sacks full in the seventh, Maher legged out an infield single chopper to shortstop. Freshman designated hitter Joe Martino (Westbury, NY/W.T. Clarke) (Westbury, NY) roped a double to clear the bases and push the Knights ahead, 9-8.
Sacred Heart responded in the eighth inning to regain the lead, 10-9. Whittemore picked up an RBI single, with the go-ahead run also coming around on the play. Schifano pushed it to 11-9 with a two-out RBI bunt.
Freshman first baseman Brian Dillon (Sarasota, FL/Cardinal Mooney) (Sarasota, FL) grounded out in the ninth to score sophomore pinch runner Patrick Furey (Ponoma, NY/North Rockland) (Ponoma, NY), and close the gap to 11-10.
Fairleigh Dickinson right-hander Ben Green (Plainview, NY/JFK Plainview) (Plainview, NY) tossed 6.0 innings, sitting down six, in a no decision. Freshman righty Chris Theordor (Staten Island, NY/Staten Island Tech) (Staten Island, NY) worked an effective seventh with sophomore right-hander Corey Jeffers (Woodbine, NJ/St. Augustine Prep) (Woodbine, NJ) hurling 1.1 innings without yielding an earned run. Sophomore lefty Terry Lydecker (Pompton Lakes, NJ/Pompton Lakes) (Pompton Lakes, NJ) took the loss.
Junior right-hander Chris Barthel (Northford, CT) logged 6.1 frames for Sacred Heart, but finished with a no decision. Junior righty Ryan Lynch (North Babylon, NY) grabbed the victory by closing out the final 2.2 innings.
LaForge and Sand went for three hits, while Pollag's three-hit performance marked a career high. Maher and Martino added multi-hit efforts. Conversely, Schifano, Santos and Fitton tallied two hits a piece for the Pioneers.
The Knights host SHU for a twin bill featuring seven-inning ball games. First pitch is set for noon, Saturday, April 26 at FDU Field.
