The Fairleigh Dickinson University baseball team was defeated, 7-4, Sunday, April 19 at Straw Family Stadium in Emmitsburg, MD. The Knights (9-22 overall) dropped their eighth-consecutive appearance, while slipping to 4-8 in the Northeast Conference.
The Mountaineers (17-16 overall, 9-3 NEC) used the four-game sweep to slingshot into first place in the league. In all four contests, the home-standing squad used a late rally to secure victory. On Sunday, Mount St. Mary's scored three runs in the bottom of the eighth inning to snap a 4-4 standstill.
Junior right-hander Nicholas Melchiorre hurled 8.1 innings, sitting down six, yet was sent to 1-6 on the season. Conversely, junior righty Brett Moore allowed one hit through 2.2 inning of work to register the win. Junior right-hander Mike Matta closed out the ball game, finishing the set with two wins and two saves.
Senior outfielder Matt Maher (Peekskill, NY/JFK Catholic) slapped an RBI base knock to right field in the second inning. Counterpart Jeff Vincent (Murrysville, PA/Franklin Regional) later lifted a sacrifice fly to centerfield, as Fairleigh Dickinson went up 2-1 in the frame.
In the fourth, Vincent knotted things at three with another sac fly. The ensuing inning, freshman infielder Ryan Kresky (Freehold, NJ/Freehold) jerked a single through the right side, shifting the Knights ahead, 4-3. But similar to their scoring in the third frame, The Mount capitalized on a fielding miscue in the fifth inning and tie things, 4-4.
Four hits equated to three runs in the eighth inning for the Mountaineers.
Sophomore first baseman Brian Dillon (Sarasota, FL/Cardinal Mooney) paced the FDU offense with three hits, while Kresky added two. Vincent chipped-in two walks, as did red-shirt junior outfielder Mark Morton (Coral Springs, FL/Grandview Prep). Maher got worked his way on twice via a base on balls and a hit.
Both teams finished with 10 hits a piece, but Mount St. Mary's did not make an error.
Fairleigh Dickinson travels to Stony Brook University at 3:30 p.m., Wednesday, April 22.
