Box Score

The Fairleigh Dickinson baseball team salvaged the final contest of its four-game series with Monmouth by defeating the Hawks, 12-8, Sunday afternoon at the MU Baseball Field in West Long Branch, NJ.  With the victory, the Knights improve to 4-9-1 (1-3 NEC) on the season, while Monmouth falls to 10-7 (3-1 NEC) overall.

FDU pounded out a season-high 18 hits on the afternoon as they scored a season-best 12 runs.  Junior Eric Anderson (Allendale, N.J./Northern Highlands) continued to stay hot at the plate as he led the Knights' with a 4-for-5 performance that included his team-leading fifth home run of the season, a three-run shot over the right field fence in the second inning.  He also scored two runs.

Freshman Ryan MacDonald (Bethpage, N.Y./Island Trees) recorded his first career multi-hit game by going 3-for-5 with a walk, two runs scored and an RBI.  Junior Kyle Weeks (Middle Island, N.Y./Longwood) also collected three hits, including a double, while knocking in two RBI's and scoring a run.  Senior Matt Holsman (Coral Springs, FL/Stoneman Douglas) went 2-for-4 out of the lead-off spot, drew a walk, laid down a sacrifice bunt, scored a run and stole a base.  Fellow classmate Ryan Kresky (Freehold, NJ/Freehold) recorded two hits, including a double, scored four times and picked up two RBI's.  Freshman Shane Siebler (Nazareth, Pa./Nazareth Area) also had two hits, including a double, while scoring a run.

Senior Mike Eliasen (Swedesboro, NJ/Gloucester Catholic) (2-1) picked up the win for FDU on the mound.  The righty went the distance as he allowed eight earned runs on 15 hits.  After allowing seven runs in the second and third innings combined, Eliasen settled down as he gave up only one run over the final six innings.  He did not walk a batter and struck out a career-high 10.

The Knights, who scored only two runs in the first three game of the series, got off to a quick start by taking a 3-0 lead after the first inning.  Kresky doubled home MacDonald with one out, and Weeks drove home Kresky with a single.  Anderson, who also singled in the inning, scored on freshman Riley Moonan (Syracuse, N.Y./Cicero North)'s RBI sacrifice fly to center field.

FDU's bats continued to stay hot in the second inning as they scored four more times to extend its lead to 7-0.  Kresky singled home Siebler with one out for the first run.  The big blow of the inning was Anderson's three-run blast to right field that scored MacDonald and Kresky.

The Hawks got on the scoreboard in the bottom of the second inning with three runs and tied the game at seven in the fourth inning with a four-spot.

The Knights retook the lead in the top of the fourth at 8-7 as Kresky scored on freshman Mike Hewson (Sayville, NY/Sayville)'s RBI fielder's choice, but Monmouth tied the game at eight in the bottom of the fifth with a single run.

FDU took the lead for good in the top of the sixth on Weeks' double that scored Kresky.  The Knights tacked on two more runs in the seventh inning to extend their lead to 11-8 as Moonan scored on a wild pitch, while Holsman scored on a single from MacDonald.

Hewson singled home freshman Jordan Ritz (Newport News, Va./Woodside) in the eighth inning to give FDU its final run of the game.

Eliasen allowed only one run on six hits over the final six innings as his pitching shut down the Hawks en route to the Knights' 12-8 victory.

Monmouth, who pounded out 15 hits on the day, was led by Ed Martin's 4-for-4 performance that included two RBI's and two runs scored.  Jamie Rosenkranz and Chris Perret each collected three hits with Perret driving home three.

The Hawks used six pitchers on the afternoon.  Starter Stephen Frey lasted only 1.1 innings as he allowed six earned runs on six hits, while walking two and striking out one.  Neil Harm was charged with the loss for Monmouth despite pitching ok in his 3.0 innings of work.  He allowed only one earned run on one hit in the middle three innings as he walked two and struck out one.

“I felt like we did a lot of good team things today,” Head Coach Gary Puccio said.  “I felt the younger kids started to come along today and are starting to buy into the system.  Mike (Eliasen) and Eric (Anderson) are just incredible.”

The Knights will have a couple days off before returning to action on Wednesday, March 21 with a non-conference game at Hartford.  First-pitch is scheduled for 3:00 p.m. in West Hartford, CT.