The Fairleigh Dickinson baseball team salvaged the second game of a doubleheader Saturday afternoon in Hamden, CT to earn a split versus Quinnipiac. The Bobcats won game one, which was scheduled for nine innings, 6-3, before the Knights hung on to win the nightcap, 12-11. With the game two victory, the Knights were able to win one of the four games in the two-day series. The Knights are now 11-34 (6-18 NEC) on the season, while the Bobcats are 14-30 (13-11 NEC) overall.
In game one, the Knights wasted no time to get on the board in the top of the first as junior Brian Dillon (Sarasota, FL/Cardinal Mooney) scored on junior DJ Robinson (Woodbury, NJ/Gloucester Catholic)'s RBI single to give the Knights an early 1-0 lead. However, the Bobcats' Kyle Nisson tied the game at one in the bottom of the second with an RBI single.
The Bobcats scored four times in the third to take a 5-1 lead. Brian Monack and Chris Migani each had RBI singles in the frame.
Nisson collected his second RBI in the fifth as his infield single put the Bobcats up 6-1.
With the Knights still down five going into the final inning, junior Joe Martino (Westbury, NY/W.T. Clarke)'s RBI double, scoring sophomore JT Sherba (Binghamton, NY/Binghamton), cut the deficit to 6-2. Junior Steven LaForge (Garfield, NJ/St. Mary) drove home fellow classmate Erik Pollag (Sicklerville, NJ/Paul VI) to cut the lead in half, 6-3, but that was all the Knights got as Quinnipiac held on for the 6-3 victory in game one.
Freshman Ashley Bulluck (Hollywood, FL/South Broward) (2-6) took the loss on the hill for the Knights. He went the distance, walking three and striking out six, while allowing six earned runs on 11 hits.
Anthony Cinelli earned the victory on the mound for the Bobcats. He pitched 6.2 innings and limited the Knights to three earned runs on seven hits. He walked two and struck out five.
Robinson went 2-for-3 with an RBI to lead the Knights' offense.
Nisson went 3-for-3 with two RBI's to pace the Bobcats. Monack and Migani each had two hits, while Migani scored three times.
In game two, the Knights used a big second inning to take a 5-0 lead. Freshman Eric Anderson (Allendale, N.J./Northern Highlands) started the rally by doubling home Martino and later scored the second run on freshman Ben Mersky (Hershey, PA/Hershey)'s RBI single. Sophomore Matt Holsman (Coral Springs, FL/Stoneman Douglas) drove home Pollag with a double down the left field line for the third run of the inning. Mersky and Holsman scored the final two runs of the inning on errors.
The Bobcats scored twice in the bottom of the second on Nisson's RBI double and Mike Bartlett's infield single to cut the Knights' lead to 5-2.
The Knights used another five-spot in the third to extend their lead to 10-2. Martino scored on another Bobcats' error to score the first run of the inning. With two outs, Holsman drilled a bases-loaded double to right field, scoring Anderson, Pollag and Mersky. LaForge then drove home Holsman with an RBI single.
In the fourth, the Knights scored two more times to take a 12-2 lead. Robinson led off the inning with his team-leading sixth home run. Holsman drove home Anderson for the second run of the inning.
Quinnipiac's Ben Farina hit a two-run homer in the fifth to cut the deficit to 12-4.
The Bobcats then scored four times in the seventh to cut the Knights' lead to 12-8. Farina, Joe Poletsky and Nisson each had RBI doubles, while Gabe Guerino had an RBI single.
The home team was not done scoring in the eighth as Poletsky hit a three-run homer to cut the lead to one at 12-11.
However, Knights' junior Zach Kisling (Marlboro, NJ/Marlboro Central), who came into relief in the eighth inning to record the final out, pitched a scoreless ninth to give the Knights the 12-11 victory.
Eliasen (1-2) earned the victory on the hill in game two for the Knights. He allowed eight runs, seven earned, on 11 hits in 6.2 innings of work. Kisling earned his first save of the season.
Alex Russow took the loss on the mound for the Bobcats as the Knights' knocked him out after two innings. Todd DeFrancesco was able to hold the Knights scoreless over the final five innings, which allowed the Bobcats to rally late.
The Knights' 17-hit attack was led by Holsman, who went 4-for-5 with five RBI's and two runs scored. Sophomore Ryan Kresky (Freehold, NJ/Freehold) added three hits, while LaForge, Robinson, Anderson and Mersky added two hits apiece. Anderson also scored three times, and Martino, Pollag and Mersky each plated two runs.
Farina, Poletsky and Nission each had three hits for the Bobcats, who had 15 as a team. Poletsky also drove in four runs.
The Knights return to action Friday, May 14, as they host Mount St. Mary's in the first of two weekend doubleheaders. The series versus the Mount is also the final home series of the season for the Knights. First pitch at FDU Field in Teaneck on Friday is scheduled for 1:00 p.m.
