Box Score

The Fairleigh Dickinson baseball team was defeated by Bryant, 5-1, Sunday afternoon in the series finale at Conaty Park in Smithfield, RI.  With the victory, the Bulldogs improve to 28-17 (19-5 NEC) on the season, while the Knights fall to 21-21-1 (15-9 NEC) overall.

The difference in the game came in the sixth inning.  FDU loaded the bases with two outs but failed to scored, while Bryant strung together three-consecutive RBI singles in the bottom half of the frame, all with two outs, allowing them to extend its lead to 4-0.

Senior Matt Holsman (Coral Springs, FL/Stoneman Douglas) led off the game with an infield single as it deflected of the pitcher.  He advanced to second with one out on freshman Jordan Ritz (Newport News, Va./Woodside)'s sacrifice bunt but was left in scoring position.

After neither team scored over the first 2.5 innings, the Bulldogs scored a run in the bottom of the third to take a 1-0 lead as Kevin Brown ripped a two-out RBI double down the right-field line.

Moving to the top of the sixth, freshman Pat McClure (Fayetteville, N.Y./Fayetteville-Manlius ) lined a single to center field to start the inning.  Fellow classmate Shane Siebler (Nazareth, Pa./Nazareth Area) followed with a potential 4-6-3 double-play ball, but the second baseman booted the groundball, allowing both runners to be safe.  Holsman then dropped a sacrifice bunt down the third-base line to move the runners up a base to second and third.

The Knights could not cash in though as Ritz struck out for the second out, and after Kresky was walked intentionally, junior Eric Anderson (Allendale, N.J./Northern Highlands) hit a comebacker off the chest of the pitcher, who quickly recovered to throw him out to end the inning.

Bryant scored three times in the bottom of the sixth to extend its lead to 4-0.  With two outs and a man on second, Daniel St. George started the rally with a RBI single to left field and took second on the throw home, which almost nailed the runner at the plate.  Carl Anderson traded spots with St. George as he laced a RBI single up the middle, and Adam Claire drove home Anderson with a RBI single to left field, which capped the scoring.

Still trailing 4-0 in the eighth, FDU scored to cut the deficit to 4-1 but had a chance to do more damage.  Siebler was plunked by a pitch to start the inning and advanced to second on Ritz's one-out single to center field.  Senior co-captain Ryan Kresky (Freehold, NJ/Freehold) then drove home Siebler with a RBI single to right field, but the threat ended when Anderson grounded into a 4-6-3 double play.

The Bulldogs added a run on a wild pitch with two outs in the bottom of the eighth and retired the Knights in order in the top of the ninth to take the game, 5-1, and split the series with FDU.

The Knights only collected five hits on the day with two coming of the bat of Holsman.  Claire, Brown and Mike DelPonte each had two of Bryant's eight hits.

Anderson (2-3) started on the mound for FDU and was charged with the loss despite pitching well.  In 4.0 innings of work, the southpaw allowed one earned run on three hits, while walking two and striking out two.  Freshman Anthony Calise (Pearl River, N.Y./Pearl River) yielded three earned runs on five hits in 1.2 innings as he walked one and struck out two.  Freshman Yonah Perline (Dix Hills, N.Y./St. Dominic) allowed one run over the final 2.1 innings.

Kevin McAvoy scattered five eights over 8.0 innings as he picked up the win.  He allowed one earned run, walked two and struck out four.

“We were unintelligent at times today,” Head Coach Gary Puccio said.  “Other than that, we played fairly well and definitely had a good weekend.”

The Knights will return to action on Wednesday, May 2 when they travel to Jersey City, NJ to take on Garden State foe Saint Peter's.  First pitch is scheduled for 3:30 p.m.