The Fairleigh Dickinson University baseball team's offense poured it on Friday, May 8 versus visiting Long Island University in Teaneck, NJ. The Knights (13-30 overall, 8-13 Northeast Conference) notched a 16-6 victory by virtue of matching its season-high of 22 hits.
Senior outfielder Matt Maher (Peekskill, NY/JFK Catholic) (Peekskill, NY) and red-shirt junior counterpart Mark Morton (Coral Springs, FL/Grandview Prep) (Coral Springs, FL) both smacked four hits, with Maher swiping a pair of bases. Sophomore outfielder Brian Dillon (Sarasota, FL/Cardinal Mooney) (Sarasota, FL) registered five RBI. Eight Knights went for multi-hit efforts, allowing Head Coach Jerry DeFabbia's squad to record 20-plus hits for the fifth time this spring. Meanwhile, three student-athletes drove in a minimum of three runs, including sophomore designated hitter Joe Martino (Westbury, NY/W.T. Clarke) (Westbury, NY) and sophomore catcher Erik Pollag (Sicklerville, NJ/Paul VI) (Sicklerville, NJ).
Junior righty Michael Strachman (Roslyn Heights, NY/Roslyn) (Roslyn Heights, NY) scattered four hits and sat down four over 6.0 innings to improve to 3-1 on the year. After yielding a run in the first, he turned in 5.0 shutout innings ? at one point retiring eight-consecutive LIU hitters. Junior right-hander Corey Jeffers (Woodbine, NJ/St. Augustine Prep) (Woodbine, NJ) and freshman righty Ray Courtney (Bronx, NY/Bronx Science) (Bronx, NY) combined for a tandem of scoreless frames to take the contest into the ninth inning.
LIU (9-34 overall, 5-15 NEC) junior catcher Kevin Kievit (Wayne, NJ) dropped a base hit into right-centerfield to plate the day's first run. Dillon knocked the first pitch he saw over the right field fence to place the Knights ahead. Martino slapped a two-bagger down the left field line to drive home a run. Pollag pulled a pitch through the right side and shifted the score to 4-1; however, he was thrown out trying to advance to second and subsequently ended the first inning.
Things stood at 5-1 in favor of Fairleigh Dickinson after two innings, as Maher lined a pitch up the middle to bring around a run. In the third, Martino poked a sacrifice fly.
Dillon triggered a four-run outburst by stroking a two-RBI double to left-centerfield in the fourth. Freshman infielder Ryan Kresky (Freehold, NJ/Freehold) (Freehold, NJ) added an RBI-groundout that was plucked on the dive. Martino struck again with a rope down the right field line, ultimately creating a 10-1 contest.
Pollag pushed it to 12-1 margin to begin the sixth frame, going down the left field line for a two-run double. Freshman infielder Mike Eliasen (Swedesboro, NJ/Gloucester Catholic) (Swedesboro, NJ) then tucked in RBI single inside the third base bag, and freshman infielder Matt Holsman (Coral Springs, FL/Stoneman Douglas) (Coral Springs, FL) punched an RBI base hit through the right side.
A two-RBI single to right-centerfield courtesy of Blackbirds' sophomore outfielder Sam Sciamarelli (Brick, NJ) highlighted a five-run ninth frame, and sliced the deficit to 16-6.
Long Island sophomore right-hander John Slootmaker (Pequannock, NJ) took the loss, allowing five runs, one earned, through 1.0 inning.
The Knights and Blackbirds resume their series at 12:00 p.m., Saturday, May 9 at FDU Field. The afternoon also represents Senior Day 2009.
