Game One Box Score
Game Two Box Score

The Fairleigh Dickinson baseball team picked up a series win over Quinnipiac by sweeping a Saturday afternoon doubleheader at the QU Baseball Field in Hamden, CT.  The Knights took game one, 5-3 in seven innings, before dominating in the second game, 11-2.  With the victories, FDU improves to 7-11-1 (4-4 NEC) on the season, while the Bobcats fall to 3-15 (2-6 NEC) overall.

The Knights only managed four hits in the opener, with freshman Jordan Ritz (Newport News, Va./Woodside) collecting a pair of doubles, but it was enough as fellow classmate Brendan Butler (W. Sayville, N.Y./Sayville) (1-2) picked up his first career victory.  The righty went 4.0 innings, allowing three earned runs on six hits, while walking two and striking out one.

Freshman Anthony Calise (Pearl River, N.Y./Pearl River) pitched a scoreless fifth with a strike out, freshman #Yonah Perline got one out in the sixth but ran into trouble as he allowed two hits.  However, freshman Eric Snyder (Slatington, Pa./Northern Lehigh) picked up his teammate, retiring the last two men of the inning and followed with a 1-2-3 seventh to pick up his fourth save of the season.

FDU jumped out to an early 1-0 lead in the top of the first.  Ritz led off the contest with a double down the left field line and advance to third on a double play later in the inning.  He then scored on a wild pitch.

The Bobcats tied the game at one in the bottom of the first on Kyle Nisson's two-out RBI single to right-center field.

The Knights answered with two runs in the top of the second to regain the lead at 3-1.  Senior Matt Holsman (Coral Springs, FL/Stoneman Douglas) walked to begin the frame and stole second.  Freshman Riley Moonan (Syracuse, N.Y./Cicero North) followed with a walk, and both runners moved up a base on freshman Pat McClure (Fayetteville, N.Y./Fayetteville-Manlius )'s sacrifice bunt.  Freshman Shane Siebler (Nazareth, Pa./Nazareth Area) then singled to right field to score Holsman with Moonan stopping at third.  With two outs, Moonan scored on a pass ball.

FDU extend its lead to 4-1 in the top of the third.  Senior Ryan Kresky (Freehold, NJ/Freehold) hit a ground-rule double to lead off the inning and scored when junior Eric Anderson (Allendale, N.J./Northern Highlands) reached on a throwing error by the second baseman, advancing to second.  Anderson was able to move to third with one out but was left stranded.

A pair of RBI singles by Vincent Guglietti and Zak Palmer cut the Knights' lead to 4-3 in the bottom half of the third.

FDU was able to get a run back in the top of the fourth to extend its lead to 5-3.  The Knights loaded the bases with one out, and Anderson hit a sacrifice fly to right field to score Ritz.  However, FDU could not tack on more runs, leaving the bases loaded to end the threat.

Quinnipiac had runners in scoring position in the fourth and the sixth innings but could not score as the Knights held on for the 5-3 victory.

George Dummar was charged with the loss for the Bobcats.  He allowed five runs, three earned, on four hits, while walking five, striking out none and hitting a batter over the first 3.1 innings.  Ryan Walsh came in relief and pitched the final 3.2 innings and did not yield a run or a hit to the Knights.

The Bobcats, who had eight singles, were led by Nisson and Brian Ruditys' two hits. 

FDU fired on all cylinders to start the nightcap by scoring three times in the top of the first to take a 3-0 lead.  Holsman led off the game with a ground-rule double down the right field line.  Ritz reached first on a throwing error by the third baseman to put runners on the corners.  Kresky followed with a double down the left field line to score Holsman and advance Ritz to third.  Anderson then hit a RBI ground out to the second baseman, scoring Ritz with Kresky moving to third.  With two outs in the inning, Kresky scored the third run on a wild pitch.

The Knights tacked on two more runs in the top of the third to extend their lead to 5-0.  With runners on first and second and one out, Anderson singled to right-center field to drive home Ritz.  Moonan then came through with two outs as he doubled home Kresky with a rip to left-center field.

The lead reached 6-0 in the top of the fifth when freshman Ryan MacDonald (Bethpage, N.Y./Island Trees) singled to left-center field with one out, scoring Moonan, who right before hit his second double of the game.

Ritz was hit by a pitch for the seventh time this season to begin the top of the sixth, advanced to second on a wild pitch, moved to third on a fielder's choice and made the score 7-0 on Anderson's RBI groundout.

FDU put the game completely away with a four-run eighth inning to go up 11-0.  The Knights loaded the bases with one out.  Junior Kyle Weeks (Middle Island, N.Y./Longwood) singled home Holsman for the first run.  Kresky scored on Moonan's RBI fielder's choice.  With two outs, MacDonald singled home Anderso, and senior JT Sherba (Binghamton, NY/Binghamton) singled home Moonan to cap the scoring.

Quinnipiac scored two runs in the eighth to avoid the shutout with the Knights taking the game, 11-2.

Besides the offensive show put on by FDU in the contest, the story of the game was the pitching of senior Mike Eliasen (Swedesboro, NJ/Gloucester Catholic) (3-1).  The righty was dominant on the afternoon as he pitched 8.0 strong innings, scattering only four hits.  He allowed two earned runs with two outs in the eighth, walked one and struck out three.

Holsman, Moonan, MacDonald and Sherba each collected two hits to pace the Knights' 13-hit performance.  Ritz and Kresky each scored three runs coupled with Holsman and Moonan scoring two.  Anderson drove home three, while Moonan and MacDonald each collected two RBIs.

Guglietti had two hits for the Bobcats.  Nick Fabrizio was charged with the loss as he allowed five runs, three earned, on four hits, while walking three and striking out four in 3.0 innings. 

“We are starting to grow up a little bit and come together,” Head Coach Gary Puccio said.  “We have won four league games out of our last five and are showing good signs.  Our chemistry is phenomenal, we are good together.  The learning curve is starting to work.  Also, our outfield played terrific all weekend in such a large ballpark.”

The Knights will return to action on Tuesday, March 27 when they host Manhattan in a non-conference contest.  First-pitch is scheduled for 3:30 p.m. at the Naimoli Family Baseball Complex in Teaneck, NJ.