Game One Box Score
Game Two Box Score

The Fairleigh Dickinson baseball team split two seven-inning contests with Sacred Heart Saturday afternoon at the Naimoli Family Baseball Complex in Teaneck, NJ.  The Knights took game one, 2-0, behind freshman Joe Borelli (Wallingford, Conn./Mark T. Sheehan )'s (1-0) complete game three-hit shutout.  The Pioneers took game two, 6-1, as SHU scored three runs in the fifth inning to break a 1-1 tie.  FDU is now 10-12-1 (6-5 NEC) on the season, while the Pioneers are 9-15 (7-4 NEC) overall.

Pitching was the story on both sides in game one as Borelli and SHU starter Nick Leiningen both pitched excellent on the day.  With no score in the bottom of the sixth, the Knights scored twice to break the tie and eventually took the game 2-0.

FDU loaded the bases with one out in the bottom of the first but failed to score as Leinigen induced a pop up and a line out to end the Knights' threat.

SHU had a man on third with one out in the top of the fifth, but Borelli got a strike out and a ground out to end the inning.

In FDU's two-run sixth, senior captains Mike Eliasen (Swedesboro, NJ/Gloucester Catholic) and Ryan Kresky (Freehold, NJ/Freehold) both singled to start the inning and advanced to third on a balk, resulting in junior Eric Anderson (Allendale, N.J./Northern Highlands) being intentionally walked to load the bases.  After a strike out to record the first out, senior Matt Holsman (Coral Springs, FL/Stoneman Douglas) came through with a RBI sacrifice fly to deep center field to score Eliasen and give the Knights a 1-0 lead. 

Freshman Riley Moonan (Syracuse, N.Y./Cicero North) was hit by a pitch to load the bases with two outs, and fellow classmate Pat McClure (Fayetteville, N.Y./Fayetteville-Manlius ) delivered a RBI single to left field to put the Knights up 2-0 as Kresky scored.

Borelli pitched a 1-2-3 seventh to earn his first career victory in his first career start.  The righty walked two and struck out three in only 75 pitches.

Five FDU players picked up a hit with Holsman and McClure each picking up a RBI. 

Leiningen scattered only five hits in his complete game effort as he allowed two earned runs, walked two, struck out two and hit two batters.  Dave Boisture had two of the three Pioneers' hits.

The Knights saw their season-high five-game winning streak halted in game two as the Pioneers scored three in the fifth and two in the seventh to take a 6-1 victory. 

Neither team got a hit over the first three innings and FDU starter Brendan Butler (W. Sayville, N.Y./Sayville) and SHU starter Robbie Macguire both were on their games.

The Pioneers struck first in the top of the fourth to take a 1-0 lead.  With one out, John Murphy singled for SHU's first hit, stole second and advanced to third as McClure's throw went to center field when he tried to throw him out stealing.  After a walk, Boisture singled to right field to drive in the run.  Butler than got an inning-ending 5-3 double play to limit the damage.

The Knights answered in the bottom of the fourth to tie the game at one.  With one out, Eliasen laid down a bunt single and advanced to second on a wild pitch.  Kresky walked, and Anderson tied the game at one with a ringing RBI single to center field, scoring Eliasen.  Still with one out, both runners advanced to third on a pass ball, putting men on second and third.  However, Leinigen was able to get out of the jam with a strike out and a line out.

In the fifth, the Pioneers finally got to Butler as they scored three times to take a 4-1 lead.  With one out and a man on third, Matt Charmello hit the first pitch he saw down the right field line for a RBI double as the slicing ball landed on the line and rolled to the wall.  Butler was pulled for freshman Anthony Calise (Pearl River, N.Y./Pearl River) and got his first man he faced to line out to third for the second out. 

Calise walked the next man, but on the play the ball bounced away from McClure, and he tried to throw the man out at third who was trying to advance on the wild pitch.  The ball ended up in right field, resulting in the runner scoring and Hunter Phillips, who walked, ending up on second base.  After another walk, Rob Griffith's RBI single to left field capped the scoring to give SHU a 4-1 lead. 

The Pioneers added two more runs in the top of the seventh to extend their lead to the final score of 6-1.  Macguire retired the last 11 Knights he faced from the final two outs of the fourth inning.  He picked up the complete-game win as he allowed the one earned run on only two hits, while walking two and striking out three.

Butler (1-3) was charged with the loss in his 4.1 innings of work.  He allowed three runs, two earned, on only three hits, while walking two and striking out one. 

Murphy, Dan Perez and Charmello each had two hits to lead SHU's eight-hit attack.  Murphy scored two runs, and Perez and Charmello each collected a RBI.  The Pioneers took advantage of four FDU errors.

“What a phenomenal start to his college career for Joe Borelli (Wallingford, Conn./Mark T. Sheehan ),” Head Coach Gary Puccio said.  He three-hits the defending NEC champs in his first collegiate start on three hits.  That was very impressive.  Our defense played out standing, and (Shane) Sieber's diving catch to end the sixth with a man on second was an unbelievable play.

“In the second game, the pitching was ok, but our defense was not good,” Puccio added.  “We were in the game, but when you play like that you are not going to win.  At the same time, we have won seven of our last 10 and are playing good baseball.  Nobody plays perfect every game.  We have to go out and try to win the series tomorrow.”

The Knights and the Pioneers will conclude their four-game series on Sunday with the first-pitch scheduled for 1:00 p.m. at the Naimoli Family Baseball Complex.