The Fairleigh Dickinson baseball team suffered a heartbreaking loss Thursday afternoon to the Blackbirds of Long Island in Brooklyn, NY, 6-5 With two outs in the bottom of the ninth and leading 5-4, the Knights saw the home team score two times to earn the walk-off win. the Blackbirds improve to 3-17 (1-4 NEC), while the Knights fall to 3-14 (2-3 NEC) overall.
The Blackbirds scored the first run of the game in the bottom of the second on Drew Walsh's RBI single and took an early 1-0 lead.
The Knights tied the game at one in the top of the third when sophomore Mike Eliasen (Swedesboro, NJ/Gloucester Catholic) scored on junior Brian Dillon (Sarasota, FL/Cardinal Mooney)'s fielder's choice.
Sam Sciamarelli put the Blackbirds back in front, 2-1, with an RBI single in the bottom half of the third.
In the top of the fifth, sophomore Matt Holsman (Coral Springs, FL/Stoneman Douglas) tied the game at two as he homered to left field to lead off the frame. It was his second home run of the season.
Long Island went ahead, 4-2, in the sixth inning on Tyler Jones' RBI single. He later scored on a wild pitch.
The lead was short-lived as the Knights struck for three runs in the top of the seventh to take a 5-4 lead. Junior DJ Robinson (Woodbury, NJ/Gloucester Catholic) doubled home Eliasen and Dillon to tie the game. Junior Joe Martino (Westbury, NY/W.T. Clarke) then delivered a pinch-hit RBI single to score Robinson and give the Knights their first lead of the game.
Entering the bottom of the ninth, the Knights still were nursing a 5-4 lead. After junior closer Spencer Kelly (Rockville, MD/The Bullis School) retired the first two men in the inning, Long Island's D Stupski hit a pinch-hit home run to tie the game at five. Julian Castro then singled to left and advanced on a fielding error on the play. He then scored on the next play as Sciamarelli singled to right-center for the 6-5, walk-off win.
Freshman Matt Cadigan (Freehold, N.J./Freehold) started on the hill for the Knights. He pitched 5.1 innings, giving up four runs, with only two being earned, on eight hits. He struck out two and did not walk a batter. Fellow classmate Craig Warner (Coral Springs, Fla./Stoneman Douglas) pitched a solid 2.1 innings of relief. He did not yield any runs or hits, while walking three and striking out three. Kelly (0-4) took the loss on the hill for the Knights. In his 1.0 inning of work, he gave up two runs, both earned, on three hits, while walking none and striking out one.
Dillon and Robinson led the Knights' nine-hit attack with two hits apiece. Robinson had two doubles along with two RBI's, and Eliasen scored two runs.
Evan Zerff earned the win on the mound for the Blackbirds as he pitched 2.1 innings of scoreless relief. Sciamarelli had three hits and scored two runs, while Castro collected two hits and scored two runs.
The Knights and Blackbirds return to action tomorrow afternoon as they will play a doubleheader featuring two seven inning games. First pitch in Brooklyn is scheduled for 12:00 p.m.
