The Fairleigh Dickinson University baseball team took the series opener versus Central Connecticut State University, Friday, May 1 in Middletown, CT. The Knights notched 21 hits ? fueled by a career-best six hits courtesy of sophomore outfielder Brian Dillon (Sarasota, FL/Cardinal Mooney) ? during their 12-8 victory.
FDU moved to 6-11 in the Northeast Conference and 11-17 overall, scoring four runs over the final three frames. Despite the Knights stranding 11 runners, their win snapped the Blue Devils' (20-14 overall, 10-6 NEC) seven-game win streak against league opponents.
Junior right-hander Michael Strachman (Roslyn Heights, NY/Roslyn) tossed 7.0 innings, en route to advancing to 2-1 on the season. Sophomore righty Spencer Kelly (Rockville, MD/The Bullis School) closed things out, working the final 1.1 innings to collect his third save of the year.
Dillon drove in four runs and fell a double short of hitting for the cycle. Freshman infielder Mike Eliasen (Swedesboro, NJ/Gloucester Catholic) smacked a career-high four hits. Senior outfielder Matt Maher (Peekskill, NY/JFK Catholic) added three hits and two RBI; and freshman infielder Ryan Kresky (Freehold, NJ/Freehold) contributed a two-hit performance.
The Knights chased CCSU junior right-hander Dan Markoya from the hill after 3.0 innings. Afterwards, Fairleigh Dickinson tallied eight runs off their host's bullpen.
Maher led off the afternoon with a double and later scored on a base knock by Dillon. In the second inning, sophomore catcher Erik Pollag (Sicklerville, NJ/Paul VI) and senior outfielder Jeff Vincent (Murrysville, PA/Franklin Regional) drove in runs with a two-bagger and a sacrifice fly, respectively.
Things stood at 4-1 in favor of FDU, following a third inning triple by Dillon and an RBI groundout from sophomore designated hitter Joe Martino (Westbury, NY/W.T. Clarke). In the fifth frame, Dillon tripled again, backed by an RBI single courtesy of Kresky, and the Knights extended their lead to 6-3. Central Connecticut once again cut its deficit to one run prior to Dillon smoking a two-run homer to right field in the sixth inning.
Vincent singled in the seventh to plate a run, with red-shirt junior pinch hitter Mark Morton (Coral Springs, FL/Grandview Prep) adding an eighth inning RBI base knock. Maher went yard to right field ? a two-run effort ? in the ninth inning to create the final score.
Junior outfielder Richie Tri paced the CCSU offense with four hits and three RBI. He batted in the six hole and was the backend of a 4, 5, 6 combination that accounted for eight of the team's 12 hits.
The series resumes at noon, Saturday May 2 with a pair of seven-inning contests slated. The final three games of the league set will be played in New Britain, CT.
