Box Score
The Fairleigh Dickinson baseball team defeated Saint Peter's on Tuesday afternoon, 7-4, at the Naimoli Family Baseball Complex in Teaneck, NJ. With the victory, the Knights improve to 3-5-1 on the season, while the Peacocks fall to 3-12 overall.
Senior
Ryan Kresky (Freehold, NJ/Freehold) and freshman
Riley Moonan (Syracuse, N.Y./Cicero North) each collected two hits to pace the Knights' nine-hit attack with Kresky scoring two runs and Moonan driving home two and scoring a run. Junior
Eric Anderson (Allendale, N.J./Northern Highlands) drove home two with his fourth home run of the season, a shot over the center field fence.
Freshman
David Marcelino (Englewood, NJ/Paramus Catholic) got the start on the mound for FDU and just missed picking up his first collegiate win. The righty went 4.1 innings, allowing two earned runs on six hits. He walked four, struck out one and hit a batter.
Sophomore
Jeff Murawski (Stroudsburg, PA/Stroudsburg) (1-0) relieved Marcelino in the fifth and pitched into the sixth inning to pick up his first career victory. He allowed one earned run on two hits in his 1.1 innings of relief. Freshman
Yonah Perline (Dix Hills, N.Y./St. Dominic) got the final out of the sixth inning and got the first two outs in the eighth inning for a 2.0 inning relief stint, allowing an earned run on two hits, while striking out two and walking none. Freshman
Eric Snyder (Slatington, Pa./Northern Lehigh) pitched the final 1.1 innings to pick up his second save of the season.
Saint Peter's took an early 1-0 lead in the top of the first on Preston Aldridge's one-out RBI single.
The Knights answered in the bottom of the frame to tie the game at one. A two-out double by Kresky to center field put him on second base and then took third on a wild pitch. He scored on a throwing error by the Peacocks' catcher who tried to pick him off third base.
FDU took a 3-1 lead in the bottom of the second on a pair of unearned runs. With one out, Moonan reached on an error by the first baseman as he dropped the throw by the shortstop. Senior
JT Sherba (Binghamton, NY/Binghamton) stroked a double to left-center field to score Moonan. He then took third base on a wild pitch and scored on freshman
Jordan Ritz (Newport News, Va./Woodside)'s fielder's choice.
The visitors cut the lead to 3-2 in the top of the third on Nicholas Henriquez's RBI sacrifice fly to center field.
However, the Knights answered with a three-spot in the bottom half of the third to take a 6-2 lead. Senior
Mike Eliasen (Swedesboro, NJ/Gloucester Catholic) singled up the middle to lead off the frame, and with one out, Anderson smoked his fourth home run of the season to give FDU a three-run lead. Junior
Kyle Weeks (Middle Island, N.Y./Longwood) then walked and went to third on freshman
Pat McClure (Fayetteville, N.Y./Fayetteville-Manlius )'s double down the left field line. Moonan drove home Weeks with a single to center field which capped the scoring.
Moonan singled home Kresky with two outs in the bottom of the fifth for FDU's seventh run of the game to give the Knights a 7-2 lead.
Saint Peter's scored single runs in the sixth and eighth innings, but it was not enough as FDU held on for the 7-4 victory.
Matt Speckmann went 4-for-5 out of the lead-off spot to pace the Peacock's 11-hit attack. Aldridge and William Rawson each added two hits.
Saint Peter's starter Eric Mozeika was charged with the loss for Saint Peter's. He allowed seven runs, four earned, in 4.1 innings of work. He walked three, struck out two and hit a batter. The Peacocks' bullpen scattered only two hits without allowing a run over the final 3.2 innings.
“This was another outstanding job by our bullpen,” Head Coach
Gary Puccio said. “The kids are starting to come together and play well. I feel good for (Jeff) Murawski getting his first career win. The kids are stepping up, and Ryan (Kresky) and Eric (Anderson) have been terrific.
The Knights will have a quick turnaround when they travel to Queens, NY to take on St. John's on Wednesday. First-pitch is scheduled for 3:00 p.m.
