The Fairleigh Dickinson University baseball team won both games of a twin bill at Long Island University, Saturday, May 3 in Brooklyn, NY.  The Knights (11-33 overall, 6-12 Northeast Conference) snapped a seven-game skid with an 8-6 win in the opener, coupled with an 11-6 decision in game two.

FDU jumped out to a 4-0 advantage in the first frame.  Junior outfielder Brett Lazar (Commack, NY/Commack) delivered a one-out solo shot to right field, followed by a three-run jack by senior infielder Luis Rosario (Bronx, NY/James Monroe).

Long Island junior outfielders Frank DiMasi and Anthony Amatucci both went yard in the first and second inning1, respectively to close the gap.  In the bottom of the third, the Blackbirds (15-29 overall, 6-13 NEC) tacked on three runs to go up, 5-4.

In the fourth, freshman infielder Andrew Ahn (Manhasset Hills, NY/Benjamin Cardoza) registered an RBI double, with Fairleigh Dickinson ultimately regaining the lead, 6-5.  In the bottom portion of the inning, a sacrifice fly by LIU senior infielder Dan Pirillo knotted things, 6-6.

A fielding miscue on a ball off the bat of Lazar allowed the game-winning runs to cross the dish in the sixth inning.

Junior outfielder Jeff Vincent (Murrysville, PA/Franklin Regional) paced the offense with two hits and reached three times.  Junior infielder Zachary Sand (San Diego, CA/Mission Bay) reached twice, as with Ahn, who also tallied a tandem of runs.

Senior John O'Hara (Staten Island, NY/St. Peter's) went the distance to pick-up the victory.  The lefty struck out eight.  Blackbirds freshman righty John Slootmaker suffered his first loss of the year, tossing 2.0 innings of relief.

In game two, freshman infielder Steven LaForge (Garfield, NJ/St. Mary) belted a two-run bomb to grab an early lead.  However, sophomore outfielder James Jones emptied the bases with a two-bagger.

The Knights went up 6-3 in the top half of the second inning.  Freshman catcher Erik Pollag (Sicklerville, NJ/Paul VI) posted a two-run base knock, with Sand following suit with a two-RBI single.

Lazar brought in junior outfielder Matt Maher (Peekskill, NY/JFK Catholic) in the third, making things 7-3 in favor of the Knights.  LIU sophomore catcher Chris Kievit cut the deficit to 7-4 in the third frame by virtue of an RBI double.

Sand extended the margin to 9-4, following a two-run dinger in the fourth.  The next frame, freshman outfielder Bryan Dorsey (Cheshire, CT/Cheshire) notched his first collegiate homer, a solo shot.

Ahn added an RBI groundout in the sixth.  Later in the inning, LIU's Kievit roped a two-RBI triple to produce the final score.

Sophomore right-hander Nicholas Melchiorre hurled all 7.0 innings to net the win.  He sat down a career-best 10 batters.  Sophomore righty Andy Yawger took the loss after an early entrance from the bullpen.

Sand and LaForge logged three-hit efforts.  Vincent and Pollag chipped-in two-hit performances.

FDU and the Blackbirds conclude the series at 1:00 p.m., Sunday, May 4 at LIU Field.