The Fairleigh Dickinson baseball team split a NEC doubleheader this afternoon at FDU Field in Teaneck versus Sacred Heart. The Pioneers took game one, 11-1, before the Knights bounced back to win the nightcap, 11-3. Both games were seven innings. With the split, the Knights are now 10-29 (5-14 NEC) on the season, while the Pioneers are 20-21 (11-8 NEC).
In game one, the Pioneers scored five unearned runs in the second, all with two outs, to take an early 5-0 lead. Mike Drowne's three-run homer to center was the big blow of the inning.
The Pioneers doubled their lead to 10-0 in the fifth as Robert Griffith hit a two-run bomb, and Drown followed later with a two-run shot of his own for his second home run of the game.
Junior Scott Morrison (Coral Springs, FL/J.P. Taravella) scored on a fielding error in the fifth to put the Knights on the board. Sacred Heart scored once more in the sixth to go up 11-1, which would complete the scoring for the contest.
Junior Mike Elasen (0-2) took the loss on the hill for the Knights. He gave up ten runs on 11 hits in 4.2 innings of work. However, only five runs were earned, while striking out three and walking two. Junior Chris Theordor (Staten Island, NY/Staten Island Tech) pitched the final 2.1 innings of relief for the Knights.
Jared Balbach earned the victory for Sacred Heart by going the distance. He allowed only four hits and the one unearned run. He walked two and struck out seven.
Junior DJ Robinson (Woodbury, NJ/Gloucester Catholic) collected two of the Knights' four hits in the game. Drowne went 4-for-4 with five RBI's and two runs scored.
In game two, sophomore Matt Holsman (Coral Springs, FL/Stoneman Douglas) scored on a throwing error in the bottom of the first to give the Knights an early 1-0 lead. However, the lead was short-lived as Robert Griffith homered to center field to put Sacred Heart up 2-1.
In the fourth, the Knights' bats busted out in a big way as the squad scored five times to take a 6-2 lead. Junior Brian Dillon (Sarasota, FL/Cardinal Mooney) and Robinson hit back-to-back doubles before junior Joe Martino (Westbury, NY/W.T. Clarke) walked to load the bases. The next batter, Eliasen, smacked a line drive down the left field line for a grand slam. Freshman Jonathan Torres (Miramar, FL/Pine Crest) then doubled and scored later on in the inning on sophomore JT Sherba (Binghamton, NY/Binghamton)'s sacrifice fly.
The Knights then put the game away in the sixth inning with another five-spot. Torres, junior Scott Morrison (Coral Springs, FL/J.P. Taravella), Sherba, junior Steven LaForge (Garfield, NJ/St. Mary) and Dillon each had RBI's in the inning.
Sacred Heart scored an unearned run in the seventh, but it was not nearly enough as the Knights took game two, 11-3.
Freshman Ashley Bulluck (Hollywood, FL/South Broward) (2-5) was brilliant on the mound for the Knights as he earned his second victory of the season. He went the distance, allowing only two earned runs, while striking out seven and walking only one batter. He also scattered seven hits.
Corey Corcoran took the loss for the Pioneers. He went 5.1 innings and allowed 11 runs, 10 earned, on eight hits.
Robinson, Eliasen and Torres each had two hits to pace the Knights' nine-hit attack. Holsman, Martino, Eliasen and Torres each scored twice, and Eliasen collected four RBI's.
Jeff Heppner and Griffith each had two hits for Sacred Heart.
The first pitch for the final game of the series has been moved up to 12:00 p.m. tomorrow at FDU Field in Teaneck. Tomorrow is also Senior Day as there will be a ceremony before the start of the game. Tomorrow is also Alumni Day for baseball, and a cookout will take place at the field after the game.
