The Fairleigh Dickinson University baseball team split a pair of games, Saturday, April 4 with Sacred Heart University in Trumbull, CT.  In the nightcap, two clutch performances from a rookie and a senior pushed the Knights to 6-14 overall and 1-1 in the Northeast Conference.

Freshman infielder Ryan Kresky (Freehold, NJ/Freehold) broke a 2-2 tie game in the top of the ninth with his second long ball of the season ? a two-run shot ? to give FDU a 4-2 decision.  Meanwhile, senior lefty John Meadus (Mt. Holly, NJ/Holy Cross) turned in his second-straight complete game, scattering six hits.

Freshman first baseman Robert Griffith gave the Pioneers (9-13-1 overall, 1-1 NEC) a 1-0 lead in the bottom of the third with a solo homer to left. Senior outfielder Ryan Lynch made it 2-0 with an RBI groundout.

Back-to-back doubles in the fourth frame by sophomore first baseman Brian Dillon (Sarasota, FL/Cardinal Mooney) ? who was the lone Knight to register multiple hits ? and classmate Joe Martino (Westbury, NY/W.T. Clarke), Fairleigh Dickinson's designated hitter, ushered in the inning.  The score stood at 2-1.

The Knights tied the ball game in the top of the sixth when red-shirt junior outfielder Zachary Sand (San Diego, CA/Mission Bay) reached on an error, then stole second.  He later scored on a two-bagger courtesy of sophomore catcher Erik Pollag (Sicklerville, NJ/Paul VI) with one out.

Senior Chris Barthel hurled 8.1 innings and suffered the loss for SHU.  The righty fanned six, but slipped to 0-4 on the year.

The day started in game one with RBI's courtesy Sand and red-shirt junior outfielder Mark Morton (Coral Springs, FL/Grandview Prep); ultimately affording FDU two runs in the first frame.  However, the Pioneers made it 2-1 by the bottom half of the inning.

In the third, Lynch delivered a solo shot to tie things at two.  FDU freshman catcher Scott Morrison (Coral Springs, FL/J.P. Taravella) singled to left field in the fifth, pushing the visitors ahead 3-2.

In the sixth inning, Sacred Heart responded with another dinger, as senior catcher Jeff Heppner led off by going yard to left field.  Junior outfielder Mike Drowne sliced a base knock down the right field line, amidst opening up a 5-3 Sacred Heart advantage.

Things stood at 7-3 after a two-run, two-hit eighth inning by the Pioneers.  Sand spanked a homer to left in the ninth to create the final score of 7-4.

Senior right-hander Ben Green (Plainview, NY/JFK Plainview) was pitted against sophomore southpaw Matt Fitton.  Green fell to 0-4 on the season, tossing 4.1 innings.  Fitton (3-2) countered with a complete-game, allowing four hits through 9.0 innings.

Sand paced the offense with a tandem of runs driven in.  Dillon worked two walks.

Fairleigh Dickinson wraps-up its NEC-opening series with two additional games starting at noon, Sunday, April 5.