The Fairleigh Dickinson baseball team dropped the opener of a four-game series versus NEC-foe Bryant, 8-3, Friday afternoon in Smithfield, RI. The Bulldogs improve to 16-18 (8-5 NEC) on the season, while the Knights fall to 9-23 (4-9 NEC) overall.
The Knights started quickly as they scored once in the first to take an early 1-0 lead. The run came courtesy of an RBI single by junior DJ Robinson (Woodbury, NJ/Gloucester Catholic) that scored fellow classmate Steven LaForge (Garfield, NJ/St. Mary). However, the lead was short-lived as the Bulldogs scored three times in the bottom half of the first to take a 3-1 lead. Jeff Vigrus delivered a two-run double to highlight the scoring for Bryant.
The Bulldogs extended their lead to 4-1 on Jordan English's RBI single in the bottom part of the second. The Knights were then able to cut the lead in half in the third when LaForge scored his second run of the game on sophomore Ryan Kresky (Freehold, NJ/Freehold)'s single.
Bryant then answered in the bottom half of the frame with three more runs to go up 7-2. Zakary Cianciolo and Jamie Skagerlind delivered back-to-back RBI doubles in the inning.
Nick Campbell extended the Bulldog lead to 8-2 in the fourth with an RBI single.
LaForge scored his third run of the game for the Knights in the fifth on junior Joe Martino (Westbury, NY/W.T. Clarke)'s RBI groundout. However, that ended the scoring for the entire game, and the Bulldogs cruised to the victory, 8-3.
Senior Mike Strachman (2-5) took the loss on the mound for the Knights as he went the distance. He allowed eight runs, seven earned, on 13 hits. He walked one and struck out two. Bulldogs' starter Brent Almeida earned the victory by going 7.1 innings. He scattered nine hits and gave up three runs, all earned. He walked three and struck out one.
LaForge, junior Brian Dillon (Sarasota, FL/Cardinal Mooney) and Robinson each had two hits to lead the Knights' ten hit attack. LaForge scored all three runs. Defensively, the Knights committed two errors.
English had three hits to pace Bryant offensively. Seven different guys drove home at least one run for the Bulldogs.
The two teams return to action tomorrow for a doubleheader featuring two seven-inning games. First pitch for game one is scheduled for 1:00 p.m.
