The Fairleigh Dickinson men's baseball team late rally fell short this afternoon at Big East foe Villanova, 11-8. Down 11-3, the Knights scored twice in the eighth and three times in the ninth before falling. The Knights have now dropped four games in a row. The Wildcats improve to 11-2 on the season, while the Knights fall to 1-7 overall.
The Knights went down in order in the top of the first before Knights' starter Zach Kisling (Marlboro, NJ/Marlboro Central) was able to pitch out of a bases loaded jam in the bottom half of the inning.
In the top of the second, the Knights took a 2-0 lead on a two-out, two-run single by freshman Ben Mersky (Hershey, PA/Hershey), scoring sophomores Scott Morrison (Coral Springs, FL/J.P. Taravella) and Ryan Kresky (Freehold, NJ/Freehold).
However, the lead was short-lived as the Wildcats responded with a five-spot off Kisling in the bottom of the inning to take a 5-2 lead. The Knights' junior failed to get out of the second inning and was relieved by fellow junior Chris Theordor (Staten Island, NY/Staten Island Tech). Kisling pitched 1.2 innings and gave up five runs but only two were earned. He walked three, hit a batter, and struck out one.
The Knights struck again in the fourth on junior Stephen LaForge's run-scoring single to right field. Mersky scored the run to cut the deficit to 5-3.
The Wildcats tacked on three more runs in the bottom of the fourth, with the big blow coming off the bat of Matt Fleishman, who's two-run triple extended the lead to 8-3. Theordor's day was done after the fourth. In 2.1 innings pitched, he gave up three earned runs on five hits. He struck out one and did not walk a batter.
Over the next two innings, senior Corey Jeffers (Woodbine, NJ/St. Augustine Prep) and sophomore Jonathan Scott (Northvale, NJ/Northern Valley Old Tappan) each pitched a scoreless inning of relief. Jeffers gave up a hit and a walk, and Scott retired the side in order.
Villanova then went up, 11-3, in the seventh inning. Freshman Craig Warner (Coral Springs, Fla./Stoneman Douglas) gave up three runs, two earned, on two hits. He walked two and did not strike out a batter.
The Knights cut the lead to 11-5 in the eighth inning. Sophomore Matt Holsman (Coral Springs, FL/Stoneman Douglas) drove in Kresky on a fielder's choice. LaForge then had his second run-scoring single of the game, driving in sophomore Mike Eliasen (Swedesboro, NJ/Gloucester Catholic).
After junior Spencer Kelly (Rockville, MD/The Bullis School) shut down the Wildcats and stuck out two in the bottom of the eighth, the Knights rallied once more with three runs in the top of the ninth. Kresky delivered a two-run triple, scoring freshman Jonathan Torres (Miramar, FL/Pine Crest) and sophomore JT Sherba (Binghamton, NY/Binghamton). Kresky then scored his fourth run of the game on Eliasen's sacrifice fly. However, the rally fell short, and Villanova took the 11-8 victory.
Starter Kyle McMyne took the win on the hill for the Wildcats. He led a group of five Wildcats' pitchers who saw action today. Kisling took the loss on the hill for the Knights.
The Knights collected 12 hits but committed two errors. The Wildcats collected 13 hits and committed one error.
Kresky led the Knights, going 3-for-4 with two runs batted in. He also scored four times. LaForge collected two hits and drove in two runs. Eliasen also had two hits and drove in a run. Mersky also picked up two runs batted in.
Matt Szczur led the Wildcats with two hits, two runs batted in, two runs scored, and two stolen bases.
The Knights return to action this weekend to take on the Delaware in a four-game series this weekend in Newark, DE. First pitch is scheduled for 3:00 p.m. Friday afternoon.
