Box Score

The Fairleigh Dickinson baseball team defeated Sacred Heart Sunday afternoon, 6-3, at the Naimoli Family Baseball Complex in Teaneck, NJ.  With the victory, the Knights improve to 11-12-1 (7-5 NEC) on the season, while the Pioneers fall to 9-16 (7-5 NEC) overall.  FDU took three out of four games to win the NEC series.

With one out in the bottom of the eighth and the score tied at three, freshman Mike Hewson (Sayville, NY/Sayville) was called on to pinch hit with the bases loaded and hit the first pitch he saw for a RBI single to left field as junior Kyle Weeks (Middle Island, N.Y./Longwood) scored to give the Knights a 4-3 lead.  Freshman Shane Siebler (Nazareth, Pa./Nazareth Area) drew a bases loaded walk, which scored fellow classmate Riley Moonan (Syracuse, N.Y./Cicero North), and senior Matt Holsman (Coral Springs, FL/Stoneman Douglas) followed with a RBI sacrifice fly to center field, scoring freshman Ryan MacDonald (Bethpage, N.Y./Island Trees), to give FDU a 6-3 lead.

Senior co-captain Mike Eliasen (Swedesboro, NJ/Gloucester Catholic) (4-1) was terrific on the mound as he went the distance.  The righty allowed three earned runs, all in the sixth inning on a three-run homer, scattered six hits, walked four, including an intentional walk, hit two batters and struck out nine to fall one short of his career high.

Holsman, senior co-captain Ryan Kresky (Freehold, NJ/Freehold), Weeks and Moonan each had two hits on the afternoon as the Knights collected nine base hits on the day.  Kresky hit a two-run bomb over the right field fence in the fifth inning for his third home run of the season.

Neither team scored over the first two innings.  SHU had a man on third with one out in the top of the third, but Eliasen got two groundballs to end the threat.

FDU scored a run in the bottom of the third to take a 1-0 lead.  Siebler walked with one out, and Holsman followed with a beautifully executed hit-and-run play with a single to right field, advancing Siebler to third.  The Knights then scored when Pioneers' starting pitcher Kody Kerski threw the ball into the dirt at first base on a pick-off attempt that bounced far enough away from the first baseman to allow Siebler to scamper home for the first run of the game.

In the bottom of the fifth, Holsman doubled to right-center field and scored on Kresky's two-out homer on a 1-0 pitch, giving FDU a 3-0 lead.

Eliasen ran into trouble in the top of the sixth as he gave up a single and a walk to start the inning.  SHU's number three hitter, John Murphy, hit the first pitch he saw over the right field fence to tie the game at three.  Eliasen settled down and got the next three men in order.

Both teams failed to score in the seventh, and the Pioneers had a man in scoring position with two outs in the top of the eighth, but Eliasen got a ground out to second to end the inning, setting up the Knights' three-run bottom of the eighth.

Weeks and Moonan both singled with one out in the bottom of the eighth, and MacDonald walked, setting up Hewson's game-winning hit.

Kerski got the no-decision for SHU as he put together a quality start.  In 6.0 innings of work, he allowed three earned runs on six hits, while walking three and striking out six.  John Herman was charged with his second loss of the series as he allowed three earned runs on three hits in 2.0 innings.

Keaton Clint and Murphy each had two hits for the Pioneers with Murphy driving in all three runs on his home run. 

“This team is starting to really come together,” Head Coach Gary Puccio said.  “You have to admire their resiliency.  It is a great combination of young freshmen enthusiasm with great senior leadership.  (Ryan) Kresky, (Matt) Holsman,(JT) Sherba and (Mike) Elisen were all effective today.  Mike Eliasen (Swedesboro, NJ/Gloucester Catholic) continues to show why he is the heart and soul of our team.”

The Knights will return to action on Wednesday, April 4, when they hit the road to take on Stony Brook for the second time this season in a non-conference tilt.  First-pitch is scheduled for 3:30 p.m. in Stony Brook, NY.