Box Score

The Fairleigh Dickinson baseball team won a thrilling 12-inning game over Wagner, 4-3, Saturday afternoon at the Naimoli Family Baseball Complex in Teaneck, NJ.  With the victory, the Knights improve to 14-14-1 (10-6 NEC) on the season, while the Seahawks fall to 12-21 (8-8 NEC) overall. 

FDU took three of four contests to win the series and has now won three consecutive NEC series, while taking 10 of its last 13 conference games.

The game was tied at three after the conclusion of the fifth inning, and neither team scored over the next 6.5 innings until junior Kyle Weeks (Middle Island, N.Y./Longwood) hit a 0-2 pitch for a single to center field in the bottom of the 12th to score senior co-captain Ryan Kresky (Freehold, NJ/Freehold) from second base for the game-winning run.

Senior co-captain Mike Eliasen (Swedesboro, NJ/Gloucester Catholic) (5-1) was gritty on the mound as he pitched all 12 innings to pick up his third complete game of the season.  The righty allowed three earned runs, which all occurred in the fifth inning, scattered 12 hits, walked one, struck out six and hit two batters.

Kresky went 3-for-4, scored two runs, collected a RBI on a sacrifice fly and stole two bases to lead the Knights' 12-hit attack.  For the series, he hit .692 (9-for-13) with a home run, two doubles, four runs scored, five RBIs and two stolen bases.

Weeks and senior Matt Holsman (Coral Springs, FL/Stoneman Douglas) each added two hits with Weeks driving home the winning run.

Wagner starter Dan Watson put together a great outing for the Seahawks as he picked up a no-decision.  In 8.0 innings of work, he allowed three earned runs on nine hits, walked two, struck out two and hit a batter.  Anthony Battaglia was charged with the loss as he allowed one earned run on three hits over the final 3.2 innings.

In the top of the first, Wagner's Ian Miller led off the game with a single to left field and eventually advanced to third with two outs, but Eliasen got Hayden Hunter to strikeout swinging to end the threat.

FDU's first scoring opportunity took place in the bottom of the second when Holsman reached on a infield single with one out and later stole second but was left stranded.

The Knights struck first in the bottom of the fourth to take a 1-0 lead.  Kresky walked to start the inning and stole second.  Junior Eric Anderson (Allendale, N.J./Northern Highlands) followed with a single to left field.  On the play, the Seahawks' left fielder let the ball get by him, allowing Kresky to score.

Wagner immediately answered with a three-run top of the fifth to take a 3-1 lead.  Eliasen allowed a lead-off double to Tommy Higgins.  Nick Alfano laid down a sacrifice bunt down the third base line.  With the play in front of him, senior catcher JT Sherba (Binghamton, NY/Binghamton) made a quick throw to third to throw out Higgins, but he was called safe, putting runners on the corner with nobody out.

Miller drove home the first run with a RBI groundout, and Bill Murphy followed with a wind-aided two-run homer over the right-field fence to give the Seahawks the lead. 

The Knights answered as well in the bottom of the fifth to tie the game at three.  Sherba was hit by a pitch to lead off the inning and advanced to third on freshman Jordan Ritz (Newport News, Va./Woodside)'s one-out double to right-center field.  Fellow classmate Ryan MacDonald (Bethpage, N.Y./Island Trees) followed with a RBI single to left field, scoring Sherba.  Kresky then tied the game at three with a RBI sacrifice fly to center field that scored Ritz.

After Eliasen retired Wagner in the top of the sixth, FDU looked primed to take the lead in the bottom half of the inning.  Weeks started the inning with a single and advanced to second on Holsman's sacrifice bunt.  Sherba laced a two-out single to right field and moved to second when the right fielder threw to the plate. 

With freshman Shane Siebler (Nazareth, Pa./Nazareth Area) batting, Watson caught Sherba about 20 feet off second base and tried to pick him off.  On the play, Weeks took off for home and was tagged out by the third baseman in a rundown between third and home, thus ending the Knights' scoring chance.

The Knights had another scoring opportunity in the bottom of the seventh with runners on the corners and two outs but failed to score.

Wagner looked to take the lead in the top of the ninth as Jayson Keel singled to start the inning.  He moved to second on Chris Smith's sacrifice bunt.  Keel's bad base running on the next play gave FDU a gift as Higgins lined out to freshman Riley Moonan (Syracuse, N.Y./Cicero North) in center field, who threw to second to double up Keel at second base to end the inning.

Battaglia relieved Watson in the bottom of the ninth and gave up a one-out double to Siebler down the right-field line.  Ritz hit a deep fly ball to right field for the second out of the inning that apparently advanced Siebler to third.  However, he was called out as he left second base too early and was called out on the appeal, which ended the frame.

In extra innings, Eliasen put Wagner down in order in the top of the 10th.  In the bottom half of the inning, Anderson walked with two outs and advanced to second when Weeks was hit by a pitch.  Anderson was then lifted for pinch-runner Jack Loftus (Dumore, Pa./Dunmore), who moved to third on a wild pitch, putting him 90 feet away from scoring the game-winning run, but Holsman flied out to left field to end the inning.

In the top of the 11th, Eliasen got the first two Seahawks out before hitting a batter and allowing a single.  He got out of trouble with a groundball to first base.

Wagner put together a scoring opportunity in the top of the 12th.  With one out, Alfano doubled to right-center field.  Miller then ripped a single to right field with Alfano trying to score the go-ahead run.  However, Siebler had other ideas in right field as he gunned down Alfano at the plate on a perfect throw for the second out.  Miller stole second base to put himself in scoring position, but Eliasen got Murphy to line out to right field to end the inning, setting up FDU's dramatic finish in the bottom of the frame.

Ritz and MacDonald both grounded out to start the bottom of the 12th.  With two down, Kresky picked up his third hit of the day with a single to right field and immediately stole second.  Eliasen, who came to bat for the first time on the afternoon because he was allowed to hit in the DH spot, worked the count full and drew a walk.  Weeks then delivered the walk-off single to give the Knights the 3-2 win.

“All I can say is wow,” Head Coach Gary Puccio said.  “Mike Eliasen (Swedesboro, NJ/Gloucester Catholic) is just a warrior and is incredible.  We had to step up when we had to.  Shane (Siebler) saved the day with his throw from right field, which allowed (Kyle) Weeks to come through with the game-winning hit.  This was a very impressive come-from-behind win.  It was only possible because of the man on the mound today.”

Wagner's 12-hit performance was led by Alfano's three hits.  Miller and Keel each collected two hits, while Murphy had two RBI's with his home run.

The Knights will return to action on Wednesday, April 11 when they travel to West Point, NY to take on Army in a mid-week non-conference contest.  First pitch is scheduled for 3:30 p.m.