On Senior Day Saturday, May 9, the Fairleigh Dickinson University baseball team swept a doubleheader with Long Island University, 5-4 and 20-12, at FDU Field; en route to improving to 15-30 overall and 10-13 in Northeast Conference action.
In the opener, sophomore outfielder Brian Dillon (Sarasota, FL/Cardinal Mooney) (Sarasota, FL) registered a walk-off RBI single to deep left field in extra innings. Senior outfielder Matt Maher (Peekskill, NY/JFK Catholic) (Peekskill, NY) stole two bases in the second game, with his second swipe lifting him to the school's all-time stolen base record (70).
Dillon finished game one with three hits, with Maher adding a two-hit game. FDU senior southpaw John Meadus (Mt. Holly, NJ/Holy Cross) (Mt. Holly, NJ) received a no decision after hurling 7.0 innings and striking out eight.
Maher ? who has stolen 29 bases this spring ? sparked a two-out, seventh inning rally in the opener by lining an RBI two-bagger off the right-centerfield fence. With things at 4-3, freshman infielder Matt Holsman (Coral Springs, FL/Stoneman Douglas) (Coral Springs, FL) poked a ball into the right-centerfield gap. Long Island (9-36 overall, 5-17 NEC) senior outfielder Frank DiMasi (Staten Island, NY) tracked it down, but had the fly ball pop out of his glove.
In the eighth, LIU threatened, putting their first two men on base. Knights' senior right-hander Ben Green (Plainview, NY/JFK Plainview) (Plainview, NY) worked his way out of a jam, as Maher laid out in right field to record the third out. Green tossed 2.0 innings to collect his victory of the season.
In the second inning, freshman infielder Mike Eliasen (Swedesboro, NJ/Gloucester Catholic) (Swedesboro, NJ) roped an RBI base knock to left field, placing FDU ahead, 1-0. In the top of the third, LIU junior outfielder Chris Kievit (Metuchen, NJ) lined a pitch to centerfield, but Dillon slipped while coming in, and the ball carried to the wall to plate a pair.
Long Island junior James Jones (Brooklyn, NY) went yard in the fifth frame, extending the margin to 4-1. The lefty sat down 10 through 6.0 innings, and allowed two earned runs, amidst a no decision.
The score was shifted to 4-2 in the bottom of the fifth, following an RBI groundout by Holsman.
Sophomore left-hander Paul Lopez (New York, NY) was saddled with the loss, logging 1.2 innings for the Blackbirds.
In the nightcap, the Knights mashed 21 hits. Following a mid-game LIU comeback, the Knights put together an 11-run fifth frame. Holsman led the offensive charge, registering a career-high five hits and four RBI. Maher and Eliasen added three-hit showings.
Fairleigh Dickinson tacked a three-spot on the scoreboard in the bottom of the first frame. Maher worked a walk then stole second base. He scored on a base hit through the right side, courtesy of Holsman. Three LIU errors ensued, creating a 3-0 advantage.
Holsman slapped a run-scoring single to the same spot in the second frame. Dillon added a sacrifice fly to extend the home-standing margin to 5-0.
On the strength of an opposite field solo shot, Jones tallied the Blackbirds' first hit of the contest with two outs in the third inning. Kievit laced an RBI double to left-centerfield to slice the deficit to 5-2.
Eliasen answered in the third, slapping a single through the right side to plate a run. Senior outfielder Jeff Vincent (Murrysville, PA/Franklin Regional) (Murrysville, PA) brought around another via a liner to right field ? FDU's fourth-consecutive base hit. Maher reached on a fielder's choice then proceeded to swipe second base and take over the school's all-time steals record. Holsman and red-shirt first baseman Zachary Sand (San Diego, CA/Mission Bay) (San Diego, CA) struck for back-to-back RBI singles to make the score, 9-2.
LIU freshman outfielder Drew Walsh (Staten Island, NY) sent the first pitch of the fourth frame over the right field fence. Jones connected on a gapper to drive home one Blackbird, and ultimately scored on the play due to a throwing error. Another throwing error equated to a tandem of runs crossing the dish, and by inning's end, Long Island's hole was 9-7.
In the fifth, freshman infielder Julian Kenner (Chicago, IL) stroked a double down the right field line to make it a one-run ball game. Junior infielder Gerard Tingos (Staten Island, NY) delivered a seeing-eye-single that knotted things up. With runners on the corners, a picked off runner turned into a double steal to place Long Island up, 10-9.
The Knights quickly responded, as Maher knocked a double to right-centerfield to spark an 11-hit, 11-run inning. Holsman's fourth-straight RBI single tied things at 10. Sand smoked a two-bagger to left-center and placed FDU back on top. Dillon went to the same spot in the park and garnered the identical result.
The rally continued as sophomore designated hitter Joe Martino (Westbury, NY/W.T. Clarke) (Westbury, NY) delivered an RBI base knock and Eliasen stroked a single. Vincent placed a two-run double down the right field line and Maher jettisoned a three-run dinger to left. Sophomore catcher Erik Pollag (Sicklerville, NJ/Paul VI) (Sicklerville, NJ) tagged a two-RBI single to left to cap the outburst.
Tingos plated a pair in the seventh inning with a single, and Long Island drew to the final score of 20-12.
Junior right-hander Nicholas Melchiorre (Mt. Laurel, NJ) received a no decision from his 4.0 innings on the bump. Junior righty Spencer Kelly (Rockville, MD/The Bullis School) (Rockville, MD) picked-up the win in relief, tossing 1.2 innings.
Senior righty Couri Benz (Park Ridge, IL) took the loss for the Blackbirds, allowing 12 runs, 10 earned, through 4.0 frames. Jones finished with three hits and two RBI. Tingos chipped-in three hits and three RBI.
The four-game NEC series concludes at 1:00 p.m., Sunday, May 10 in Teaneck, NJ.
