Box Score 1 | Box Score 2

SAVANNAH, Ga. -- The Fairleigh Dickinson baseball team bounced back Saturday with a pair of victories over Norfolk State and Savannah State at Tiger Field. With the victories, the Knights improve to 2-1 on the season.

In FDU's first game of the day, the Knights held on to defeat the Spartans of Norfolk State, 4-3, who fell to 2-7 on the season. FDU scored a pair of runs in the bottom of the first before NSU answered with two of its own to tie the game at two in the top of the second.

The Knights responded with two more runs in the bottom of the third to retake the lead at 4-2. The Spartans scored a run in the top of the fifth to cut the lead to 4-3 but could not get any closer, as the FDU bullpen combined to throw 4.0 scoreless innings of relief.

Freshman Nick Cuono (Hawthorne, N.J./Montvale Saint Joseph ) (1-0) picked up the victory in his first career start. The righty pitched 5.0 innings, scattering five hits, while allowing three runs, two earned. He did not walk a batter and struck out one.

Senior Matt Cadigan (Freehold, N.J./Freehold) tossed a scoreless sixth inning, and sophomore Anthony Calise (Pearl River, N.Y./Pearl River) followed with one inning of relief in the seventh. Fellow classmate Yonah Perline (Dix Hills, N.Y./St. Dominic) started the eighth inning and got one out before giving away to sophomore closer Eric Snyder (Slatington, Pa./Northern Lehigh), who slammed the door on the Spartans with 1.2 innings of perfect relief to earn his first save of the season.

The Knights' offense saw eight of their nine starters collect at least one hit en route to picking up 10 in the contest. Sophomore Riley Moonan (Syracuse, N.Y./Cicero North) paced the offense with a 3-for-4 effort, including a pair of triples, and two runs scored, while senior Eric Anderson (Allendale, N.J./Northern Highlands) drove home two and scored a run.

FDU avenged a loss in the nightcap, defeating Savannah State, 8-2, as the Tigers shutout the Knights on Friday night, 6-0. The loss dropped the home team to 8-2 on the season and snapped a six-game winning streak, all at Tiger Field.

Things looked grim for FDU to start the game, as SSU scored an unearned run in the bottom of the first on a two-out double and a second run with a two-out single in the bottom of the second to take a 2-0 lead.

In the top of the third, the Knights received all the offense they would need, as they scored five times to take a 5-2 lead. Sophomore Ryan MacDonald (Bethpage, N.Y./Island Trees) walked to start the inning and advanced to second on freshman Ryan Brennan (Mooresville, N.C./Mooresville)'s one-out single to center field. Moonan then walked to load the bases.

Senior Kyle Weeks (Middle Island, N.Y./Longwood) and sophomore Shane Siebler (Nazareth, Pa./Nazareth Area) followed with walks to plate the first two FDU runs of the game. After a pitching change, freshman Joel Roman (East Hartford, Conn./East Hartford) roped a two-run double down the left-field line to score Weeks and Moonan. Freshman Dylan Sprage capped the scoring by driving in Siebler with a RBI sacrifice fly to right field.

The Knights tacked on more run in the top of the sixth on sophomore Jordan Ritz (Newport News, Va./Woodside)'s RBI fielder's choice and increased their lead to 8-2 in the top of the ninth on Weeks' RBI single to left field, which scored Brennan, and Roman's bases-loaded walk.

Sophomore Brendan Butler (W. Sayville, N.Y./Sayville) (1-0) settled down after allowing two runs, one earned, over the first two innings. The 6-3 right-hander pitched 5.0 innings, allowing only three hits, while striking out five and walking two.

Once again FDU picked up 10 hits and saw eight starters collect at least one safety. Weeks led the way by going 3-for-4 with two RBI and a run scored. Roman added three RBI, and Brennan and Moonan each scored a pair of runs.

Knights' pitching did not allow a run over the final seven innings, while Cadigan, Calise, Perline and freshman Ryan McGrath (Lansingburgh, N.Y./Lansingburgh) each pitched 1.0 inning of scoreless relief. The bullpen only allowed one base runner over the final 4.0 innings, a single in the bottom of the seventh. On the day, the bullpen combined to throw 8.0 scoreless innings.

FDU will return to action on Sunday with a single game against Norfolk State. First pitch at Tiger Field is scheduled for 12 p.m.