The Fairleigh Dickinson baseball team swept a non-conference doubleheader this afternoon versus Iona at FDU Field in Teaneck. The Knights won the first game, 6-4, behind a strong pitching performance from senior Mike Strachman. In game two, the Knights pounded out 17 hits and won a slugfest over the Gaels, 16-12. The Knights snapped a three-game losing streak with the two victories and improve to 7-21 on the season, while the Gaels fall to 5-24 overall.
In game one, the Gaels took an early 1-0 in the first on Chris Burke's sacrifice fly. The Knights got on the scoreboard in the third as they scored five times to take a 5-1 lead. Junior Brian Dillon (Sarasota, FL/Cardinal Mooney) started the rally by singling home freshman Eric Anderson (Allendale, N.J./Northern Highlands). Sophomore Matt Holsman (Coral Springs, FL/Stoneman Douglas) then delivered a bases-loaded triple, scoring sophomore Eric Pollag, freshman Ben Mersky (Hershey, PA/Hershey), and Dillon. Sophomore Ryan Kresky (Freehold, NJ/Freehold) then drove home Holsman on an RBI groundout.
The Knights went up 6-1 in the fifth when Mersky scored on Holsman's sacrifice fly.
The Gaels were able to score three times in the seventh to cut the deficit to 6-4 on a solo home run by Michael Chiaravalloti and a two-run blast by Dean Dignelli. However, it was not enough as the Knights held on for the 6-4 victory.
Strachman (2-4) earned his second victory of the year by going 6.1 innings. He scattered six runs and gave up four runs, all earned. He walked one and struck out three. Junior Spencer Kelly (Rockville, MD/The Bullis School) came in and struck out the only two batters he faced to earn his third save of the season.
Matt Marley went the distance or the Gaels. He gave up six runs, four earned, on five hits. He struck out four and did not walk a batter.
Holsman had four RBI's on the day for the Knights, and Mersky scored twice.
Nick Rosetti went a perfect 3-for-3 to pace the Gaels on offense.
In game two, the two teams combined for 11 first inning runs. The Gaels scored six times in the first to go ahead 6-0. Knights' sophomore starter Ray Courtney (Bronx, NY/Bronx Science) was able to get the first two batters outs before the Gaels started their rally. The big blow in the inning came off the bat of Dignelli as he blasted a three-run homer. Courtney could not get out of the first and was pulled in favor of freshman Craig Warner (Coral Springs, Fla./Stoneman Douglas).
The Knights answered with their own two out rally in the bottom half to cut the deficit to 6-5. Sophomore Mike Eliasen (Swedesboro, NJ/Gloucester Catholic) drove in Dillon with an infield single. Kresky drove home juniors DJ Robinson (Woodbury, NJ/Gloucester Catholic) and Joe Martino (Westbury, NY/W.T. Clarke) with a two-run single to center. Junior JT Sherba (Binghamton, NY/Binghamton) then drove home Eliasen with an RBI single, and freshman Jonathan Torres (Miramar, FL/Pine Crest) followed with an RBI single to drive in Kresky.
The Gaels scored two more times in the third on Chiaravalloti's two-run homer to extend their lead to 8-5. The Knights answered in the bottom of the second on Martino's two-run double, scoring junior Steven LaForge (Garfield, NJ/St. Mary) and Dillon.
In the third, the Gaels went up 9-7 on an RBI groundout. In the bottom half of the inning, the Knights took their first lead of the game, 10-9. LaForge singled home Torres to start the scoring. LaForge later scored on a throwing error to tie the game. Robinson put the Knights ahead by driving home Dillon on an RBI groundout.
The Gaels tied the game at 10 in the fourth on a sacrifice fly. In the bottom of the fourth, the Knights scored five times to go up 15-10. Torres drove home Eliasen with a sacrifice fly to start the rally, and Holsman also collected a sacrifice fly to drive home Kresky. Dillon then drove home Sherba with an RBI single off the pitcher. LaForge then scored on an error by the shortstop, and Martino drove home Dillon with an RBI single.
Iona cut the lead to 15-12 in the fifth as they scored two more times. The Knights responded with a run in the bottom half to go up 16-12 when Kresky scored on Torres' RBI groundout. That was enough as the Knights were able to hold on for the 16-12 victory.
Anderson (1-0) earned his first career victory on the hill as he pitched 2.2 innings of relief. He gave up three runs, two earned on four hits. He walked two and struck out one. Eliasen earned the save by pitching the final 2.0 innings. He allowed one hit and did not give up a run, while striking out two and walking none.
Derrick Bligh took the loss on the hill for the Gaels.
LaForge, Dillon, and Kresky each had three hits to pace the Knights on offense. Kresky went a perfect 3-for-3. Martino and Torres each had three RBI's, and Kresky added two RBI's. Dillon scored four times, and LaForge and Kresky each scored three times.
Andrew Passerelle, Chiaravalloti, Collin Lyall and Dignelli each had two hits for the Gaels. Chiaravalloti and Dignelli each had four RBI's.
The two teams return to action tomorrow as they will play a doubleheader at Iona. First pitch in New Rochelle for game one is scheduled for 12:00 p.m.
