The Fairleigh Dickinson baseball team lost the final two games of its four game series to Central Connecticut State on Sunday at FDU Field in Teaneck. The first game of the doubleheader was seven innings and the nightcap was nine innings. After jumping out to a 6-0 in the first game, the Knights saw Central Connecticut State score 11 times over the final four innings, including the go ahead runs in the top of the seventh to win the opener, 11-9. In game two, the Blue Devils put on an offensive clinic, scoring 21 runs on 22 hits. The final score was 21-4. The Blue Devils improve to 5-7 (2-2 NEC) on the season, while the Knights fall to 3-13 (2-2 NEC) overall.
In game one, the Knights took an early 1-0 lead when junior Steven LaForge (Garfield, NJ/St. Mary) scored on junior DJ Robinson (Woodbury, NJ/Gloucester Catholic)'s sacrifice fly. The Knights scored once more in the second when sophomore Scott Morrison (Coral Springs, FL/J.P. Taravella) plated junior Joe Martino (Westbury, NY/W.T. Clarke) with an RBI single.
The Knights then scored four more times in the third inning to go up, 6-0. Junior Brian Dillon (Sarasota, FL/Cardinal Mooney) started the rally by singling home sophomore Matt Holsman (Coral Springs, FL/Stoneman Douglas). The big blow of the inning came when freshman Eric Anderson (Allendale, N.J./Northern Highlands) homered for the second straight day. The three-run bomb scored LaForge and Dillon.
The Blue Devils answered in the fourth with a four-spot of their own. The two big hits in the inning were a two-run double from Mitch Wells and a two-run triple from Sean Allaire.
In the bottom half of the fourth, the Knights scored once more on LaForge's sacrifice fly, scoring sophomore Ryan Kresky (Freehold, NJ/Freehold).
In the fifth inning, the Knights extended their lead to 8-4 when freshman Ben Mersky (Hershey, PA/Hershey) scored on Morrison's sacrifice fly.
The Blue Devils then scored five times in the sixth inning to take a 9-8 lead. Wells hit a solo home run and Allaire hit a two-run homer.
The Knights tied the game at 9 in the bottom of the sixth when sophomore Erik Pollag (Sicklerville, NJ/Paul VI) drew a bases loaded walk to drive in sophomore Mike Eliasen (Swedesboro, NJ/Gloucester Catholic).
However, the Blue Devils took the lead for good in the seventh with two more runs to earn the 11-9 victory.
Sophomore Ray Courtney (Bronx, NY/Bronx Science) started on the hill or the Knights. He pitched 4.0 innings and gave up four runs, one earned, on six hits. He walked two and struck out four.
Junior Spencer Kelly (Rockville, MD/The Bullis School) (0-3) took the loss on the hill for the Knights. He pitched 1.1 innings of relief, giving up two runs, both earned on six hits.
Holsman, LaForge, and Martino each had two hits to lead the Knights' nine-hit attack. Anderson knocked in three runs, and Morrison added two RBI's.
Allaire just missed hitting for the cycle for the Blue Devils. He went 4-for-5 with two doubles, a triple, a home run, and four RBI's. Anthony Scaldone added three hits as the Blue Devils raked 17 hits in the game. Richie Tri scored three times, and Wells drove in three runs. Roy Natoli pitched the final 1.1 innings to earn the victory.
In game two, the Blue Devils struck first in the top of the first off Knights' starter Matt Cadigan (Freehold, N.J./Freehold) to take a 1-0 lead. However, the Knights tied the game in the bottom half of the frame on LaForge's home run.
The Blue Devils then scored three more times in the top of the second off the freshman Cadigan to take a 4-1 lead. The big hit in the inning was a two-run shot by Allaire.
The Knights scored one more in the bottom half of the second when Martino scored on Eliasen's RBI groundout.
Central Connecticut State scored 13 times over the next five innings to take a 17-2 lead after seven innings.
The Knights scored two times in the eighth when Dillon tripled home LaForge and freshman Jonathan Torres (Miramar, FL/Pine Crest) singled home Dillon on an infield single.
The Blue Devils scored four more times in the ninth and completed the sweep with the 21-4 victory.
Cadigan (0-2) took the loss on the hill for the Knights. Tommy Meade earned the victory for the Blue Devils by going 6.0 innings and giving two runs on five hits.
Sophomore Ryan Kresky (Freehold, NJ/Freehold) went 4-for-4, including two doubles, to lead the Knights' ten-hit attack. LaForge and Dillon each added two hits apiece. LaForge also scored two runs.
The Knights return to action on Tuesday to take on the Jaspers of Manhattan at FDU Field in Teaneck. First pitch is scheduled for 3:30 p.m.
