The Fairleigh Dickinson University baseball team took care of Long Island University, 16-8, Sunday, May 10 to sweep the season series. In the Knights' first at-bat of the afternoon, senior outfielder Matt Maher (Peekskill, NY/JFK Catholic) (Peekskill, NY) broke the program's all-time hits record (formerly 196) with a base hit up the middle.
In their final home game of the 2009 campaign, Head Coach Jerry DeFabbia's squad improved to 16-30 overall and 11-13 in the Northeast Conference. Sophomore catcher Erik Pollag (Sicklerville, NJ/Paul VI) (Sicklerville, NJ) and Maher combined to go 7-for-10 with nine RBI, as the Knights finished the year 9-11 at FDU Field. The line-up smacked 18 hits, with all but one player factoring into that total.
The Mothers Day matinee provided the Knights with their first season series sweep in Teaneck, NJ since a 2005 showing versus a now defunct St. Francis College (NY) program. On the weekend, FDU recorded 70 hits, en route to out-scoring Long Island, 57-30.
Maher ? who set the school's all-time stolen bases record a day earlier ? concluded the weekend with 199 career hits and 70 swipes through four years. On Sunday, he went 3-for-6 with three RBI, while Pollag tallied a career-high four hits in as many at-bats, and drove in a career-best six. Fairleigh Dickinson had seven student-athletes contribute multi-hit performances.
Sophomore right-hander Chris Theordor (Staten Island, NY/Staten Island Tech) (Staten Island, NY) improved to 2-0 on the season, tossing 2.0 innings out of the bullpen.
The Blackbirds slipped to 9-37 overall and 5-18 versus NEC opponents. LIU dropped their 15th-straight contest, despite two hits and two RBI from both junior outfielder Chris Kievit (Wayne, NJ) and senior outfielder Frank DiMasi (Staten Island, NY).
Pollag delivered the day's first two runs with a first inning single through the right side. In the second, Kievit poked a two-out, two-strike hanging breaking ball up the middle to cut the deficit to 2-1.
FDU struck for 11 runs in the fourth frame ? the second such effort this series ? en route to creating a 13-1 contest. Sophomore designated hitter Joe Martino (Westbury, NY/W.T. Clarke) (Westbury, NY) collected an RBI single to start things. Maher pulled an RBI base knock through the left side then freshman infielder Matt Holsman (Coral Springs, FL/Stoneman Douglas) (Coral Springs, FL) lifted a sacrifice fly. Pollag ? who led off the inning with a single ? socked his second homer of the season, a two-out grand slam to right-centerfield.
Freshman infielder Mike Eliasen (Swedesboro, NJ/Gloucester Catholic) (Swedesboro, NJ) added a wind-aided Texas-leaguer to bring home another run in the fourth. Eliasen ultimately amassed a career-high three RBI. Maher notched two more RBI after slapping a pitch to the opposite field that was lost in the sun.
The Blackbirds put together four runs in the fifth, as DiMasi sparked things with a two-run single up the middle. A sac fly backed by an RBI single made it 13-5. The ensuing inning, Kievit lined an RBI two-bagger off the left field fence and a slow read on a flare to left field off the bat of junior infielder Greg DeSantis (Bridgewater, NJ) led to two additional runs and a 13-8 ball game.
In the seventh, freshman infielder Ryan Kresky (Freehold, NJ/Freehold) (Freehold, NJ) flipped an RBI base hit to centerfield and Martino worked a walk with the sacks full. Eliasen sent a sacrifice fly to right field, opening up a 16-8 margin.
Freshman right-hander Jonathan Scott (Northvale, NJ/Northern Valley Old Tappan) (Northvale, NJ) worked 4.0 innings and received a no decision. Sophomore righty Zachary Kisling (Marlboro, NJ), junior southpaw Terry Lydecker (Pompton Lakes, NJ/Pompton Lakes) (Pompton lakes, NJ), and sophomore right-hander Spencer Kelly (Rockville, MD/The Bullis School) (Rockville, MD) each added an inning of scoreless relief.
LIU junior righty starter Matt Owens (Metuchen, NJ) lasted 3.2 innings and was saddled with the loss. Freshman right-hander Ryan Tatnell (Putnam Valley, NY) logged 2.1 scoreless innings of relief.
Fairleigh Dickinson is idle mid-week and concludes the regular season with a four-game NEC set against Wagner College. Game one will go off at 3:00 p.m., Friday, May 15 at the Richmond County Bank Ballpark ? home of the Staten Island Yankees.
