Box Score

The Fairleigh Dickinson baseball team dropped its 2012 season-opener Saturday, 8-7, against Lehigh at Wilson Field in Davidson, NC.  With the victory, the Mountain Hawks improve to 2-0 on the season, while the Knights fall to 0-1 overall.

Freshman Shane Siebler (Nazareth, Pa./Nazareth Area) paced the Knights' 16-hit attack with a 4-for-4 performance at the plate as he doubled and hit a sacrifice fly, collected two RBI's and scored a run.  Freshman lead-off hitter Jordan Ritz (Newport News, Va./Woodside) went 3-for-5 with an RBI and a run scored.  Junior Eric Anderson (Allendale, N.J./Northern Highlands) went 2-for-3 with a home run and sacrifice fly, drove home three and scored a run.  Freshman Riley Moonan (Syracuse, N.Y./Cicero North) added two hits, including a double, and scored a run.

Freshman Brendan Butler (W. Sayville, N.Y./Sayville) (0-1) picked up the loss on the mound for the Knights as he allowed six runs, all earned, on three hits in 3.1 innings pitched in his first career start.  He walked three, struck out two, hit two batters and threw four wild pitches.

Freshmen Mitch Paz (Bridgeport, CT/St. Joseph), David Marcelino (Englewood, NJ/Paramus Catholic) and Anthony Calise (Pearl River, N.Y./Pearl River) along with junior Craig Warner (Coral Springs, Fla./Stoneman Douglas) kept the Knights in the game with a solid performance out of the bullpen.  They combined to allow only two runs, one earned, on four hits, while walking over the final 4.2 innings.

FDU took an early 1-0 lead in the top of the first on Anderson's one-out single to center to score senior Mike Eliasen (Swedesboro, NJ/Gloucester Catholic).  On the play, senior Ryan Kresky (Freehold, NJ/Freehold) was thrown out at third base trying to go first to third.

Lehigh answered with two runs in the bottom half of the first to take a 2-1 lead as Joe Conaway hit a sacrifice fly, and Brandon Witt knocked an RBI double to left-center field.

Siebler doubled home Moonan with two outs in the top of the second with a knock to left field to tie the game at two.

With two outs in the bottom of the second, Lehigh scored three times to take a 5-2 lead.  Justin Pacchioli doubled to right field to drive home two.  He then stole third and scored on a wild pitch to cap the scoring.

In the top of the third, Anderson hit a one-out solo shot down the right field line to cut the deficit to 5-3.

After holding the Mountain Hawks scoreless in the bottom of the third, FDU scored twice in the top half of the fourth to tie the game at five.  Siebler and Ritz hit back-to-back singles to put runners on the corner with one out.  Eliasen then singled to right field to drive home Siebler and advance Ritz to second. 

Kresky walked to load the bases, bringing Anderson to the plate.  He then picked up another RBI with a sacrifice fly to center field to score Ritz and tie the game.  However, the Knights missed a golden opportunity to add runs as they left the bases loaded.

Lehigh scored single runs in the fourth, fifth and sixth innings to take an 8-5 lead as they held FDU scoreless.

In the top of the seventh, the Knights loaded the bases with one out.  Siebler hit a sacrifice fly to center field to score junior Kyle Weeks (Middle Island, N.Y./Longwood), cutting the lead to 8-6.  FDU then ended the inning with runners at first and third.

Neither team scored in the eighth inning.  Needing two runs to tie the game in the ninth, junior Sean Yoshikawa (Fremont, CA/Irvington) was called on to pinch hit and singled to right field with one out.  After Moonan flied out for the second out, Siebler picked up his fourth hit of the afternoon with an infield single. 

Ritz drove home Yoshikawa from second base with a single, and Siebler advanced to third as the tying run.  Eliasen then flied out to left field to end the game.

Pacchiloi and Ryan Gajdos each had two hits to lead Lehigh's seven-hit attack.  The Mountain Hawks had four guys each drive home a run as they scored the other three on wild pitches. 

Jordan Smith (1-0) picked up the win in relief as he came into the game in the fifth inning.  He allowed one earned run on three hits in 3.1 innings of work.  He struck out one, walked none but did hit a batter.  Cory Kent picked up his second save of the season as he got the final out of the game. 

The Knights will return to action with a doubleheader on Sunday.  They will once again take on Lehigh at 10:00 a.m. before facing Davidson at 1:00 p.m.  Both games will be played at Wilson Field.