Box Score

The Fairleigh Dickinson baseball team dropped its 2012 home opener to NYIT, 6-3, in 11 innings Tuesday afternoon at the Naimoli Family Baseball Complex in Teaneck, NJ.  With the victory the Bears improve to 1-4 on the season, while the Knights fall to 1-3 overall.

NYIT's Dan Lackner hit a two-run home run to center field, his second of the game, with no outs in the top of the 11th inning off freshman Eric Snyder (Slatington, Pa./Northern Lehigh) to give the Bears the lead for good.  NYIT then extended its lead to 6-3 on a two-out double by Joey LaCunga.

FDU took a 1-0 lead in the bottom of the first on senior Ryan Kresky (Freehold, NJ/Freehold)'s single up the middle to score freshman Jordan Ritz (Newport News, Va./Woodside).

After getting the first two batters of the fourth inning to groundout, the Bears' Ali Rodriquez double to right-center field, and Lackner followed with his first two-run bomb of the game off senior starter Mike Eliasen (Swedesboro, NJ/Gloucester Catholic) to give NYIT a 2-1 lead.

In the top of the fifth, Steve McNamara tripled down the right field line to lead off the inning and was nearly thrown out at third on a perfect relay throw from junior second baseman Kyle Weeks (Middle Island, N.Y./Longwood).  With one out, LaCunga hit a sacrifice fly to center field to drive in McNamara and extend NYIT's lead to 3-1.

With one out in the sixth inning, junior Eric Anderson (Allendale, N.J./Northern Highlands) hit a line-drive home run over the right field fence to cut the lead to 3-2.  The round tripper was Anderson's second of the season.

Still trailing 3-2, Kresky led off the eighth with a double down the right field line but was stranded in scoring position.

Eliasen, who retired the final eight batters he faced, pitched his second-straight 1-2-3 inning in the ninth to give FDU one more opportunity to tie the game. 

Senior Matt Holsman (Coral Springs, FL/Stoneman Douglas) was called on as a pinch hitter to lead off the bottom of the ninth and delivered a single down the left field line and then stole second base putting himself in scoring position with nobody out. 

After the next two batters were retired, Ritz singled through the left side, and Holsman beat the throw from left field to tie the game at three.  Ritz took second on the throw to put himself in scoring position as the winning run.  However, freshman Riley Moonan (Syracuse, N.Y./Cicero North) grounded out to first on a close play to end the inning.

Freshman Anthony Calise (Pearl River, N.Y./Pearl River) relived Eliasen to start the 10th inning and gave up two hits with one out, putting runners on first and second.  He then induced a double play as the next batter lined out to Weeks at second base who then threw to second to get the runner for the force to end the threat.

The Knights were in prime position to win the game in the bottom half of the 10th.  Kresky walked to lead off the inning, and Anderson reached base on an errant throw by the second baseman who was trying to get Kresky out at second base.

Freshman Pat McClure (Fayetteville, N.Y./Fayetteville-Manlius ) came to the plate and failed to get the sacrifice bunt down and hit into a 5-4-3 double play with Kresky advancing to third on the play.  Weeks was then hit by a pitch, and pinch hitter Corbin Gapski (Syracuse, NY/Liverpool) grounded out to third to end the inning which set up NJIT's three-run 11th inning.

Eliasen pitched phenomenal on the bump for FDU.  He went 9.0 innings, scattering seven hits, allowing three earned runs, striking out five and allowing only an intentional walk.  Snyder (0-1) was tagged with the loss as he gave up three earned runs on three hits, while walking one and striking out one.

Kresky led the Knights' 10-hit attack as he reached base four times by going 3-for-4 with a double, a walk and an RBI.  Anderson went 2-for-5 with a home run, and Ritz drove home a run and scored another to help pace FDU.

Ryan Dillabough started on the hill for NYIT and limited the Knights for 7.0 innings as he allowed two earned runs on seven hits, while striking out five and walking none.  James Moussa picked up the win despite allowing the tying run in the ninth as he worked 2.1 innings of relief.  Matt Maier picked up the save with a scoreless 11th.

Rodriquez went 4-for-5 with two doubles and two runs scored to lead the Bears' 12-hit attack.  Lackner went 2-for-4 with two home runs and four RBI's, while LaCunga added two hits and two RBI's.

FDU did not help themselves as they hit into five double plays.

“We battled hard, but we made a lot of young mistakes, not getting down bunts,” Head Coach Gary Puccio said.  “We had more than ample opportunities to win this game and this is something we have to learn.  We also have to execute under pressure.  We will hopefully be better two weeks from now when conference play starts.”

The Knights will have a quick-turnaround to bounce back as they host Stony Brook on Wednesday afternoon.  First-pitch as the Naimoli Family Baseball Complex is scheduled for 3:00 p.m.