Box Score 1 | Box Score 2

NEW BRITAIN, Conn. -- The Fairleigh Dickinson baseball team dropped both ends of its seven-inning doubleheader with Central Connecticut State, falling 9-3 and 6-3 at CCSU Baseball Field on Saturday. With the victories, the Blue Devils improve to 8-6 (3-0 NEC) on the season, while the Knights fall to 3-12 (0-3 NEC) overall.

In the opener, things looked bright at the start for FDU, as sophomores Riley Moonan (Syracuse, N.Y./Cicero North) and Jordan Ritz (Newport News, Va./Woodside) and senior Kyle Weeks (Middle Island, N.Y./Longwood) all singled to start the game. Freshman Ryan McGrath (Lansingburgh, N.Y./Lansingburgh) came through with a two-run single, scoring Moonan and Ritz, to give the Knights an early 2-0 lead.

After a scoreless first inning, CCSU mounted a two-out rally in the bottom of the second to take a 4-2 lead. Anthony Turgeon walked and scored on Josh Ingham's RBI double, and Ingham came around to score on Connor Fitzsimons' RBI single. The big blow then came off the bat of Dylan DelaCruz, who knocked a two-run homer over the right-center field fence.

The Blue Devils tacked on one more run in the bottom of the fourth to extend the lead to 5-2, as Fitzsimons scored on J.P. Sportman's RBI sacrifice fly.

FDU got a run back in the top of the fifth to cut the deficit to 5-3. Sophomore Shane Siebler (Nazareth, Pa./Nazareth Area) tripled with two outs and scored on Moonan's RBI single to left-center field.

That would be the closest the Knights would get, as CCSU scored once in the bottom of the fifth before putting the game away with three more runs in the bottom of the sixth to clinch the 9-3 victory.

The offense recorded nine hits in the game, with Moonan and Ritz each going 2-for-3 and scoring a run, while McGrath had two RBI.

Sophomore Joe Borelli (Wallingford, Conn./Mark T. Sheehan ) (0-4) was charged with the loss on the mound. The Connecticut native lasted only 3.2 innings, allowing five runs, all earned, on six hits while walking four and striking out one.

Nick Neuman (2-1) earned the victory for the Blue Devils after allowing three earned runs on seven hits in 5.0 innings of work. He struck out three and did not walk a batter. Brendyn Karinchak picked up his second save of the season after pitching a scoreless final two innings.

CCSU collected 14 hits, with Fitzsimons and Dominic Severino each going 3-for-4 and scoring a pair of runs, while Fitzsimons, DelaCruz and Ingham all picked up two RBI.

In the nightcap, the Blue Devils scored an unearned run with two outs in the bottom of the first to take an early 1-0 lead.

FDU looked like it had something cooking in the top of the second after senior Eric Anderson (Allendale, N.J./Northern Highlands) reached on an error and freshman Joel Roman (East Hartford, Conn./East Hartford) doubled to put runners on second and third with one out. Fellow classmate John Giakas (Staten Island, N.Y./Tottenville) followed with a fly out to right field, but Anderson was thrown out on the play trying to score.

In the top of the fourth, the Knights got on the scoreboard with a two-run inning to take the lead, 2-1, as Anderson hit the first home run of the season for FDU, a two-run blast over the right field fence, which also scored Weeks.

The lead was short-lived, however, as CCSU scored five times in the bottom of the fourth to retake the lead at 6-2. The Blue Devils recorded six straight hits to start the inning, with four safeties driving in a run.

Freshman Dylan Sprague (Brunswick, N.Y./Averill Park) led off the top of the fifth with a home run over the right field fence, as his first career round tripper cut the deficit to the final score of 6-3. Sophomore Ryan MacDonald (Bethpage, N.Y./Island Trees) followed with a single but was erased on a double play.

The Knights failed to get anything going over the final two innings, resulting in CCSU to take the victory and clinch the four-game series.

Sophomore Brendan Butler (W. Sayville, N.Y./Sayville) (1-3) went the distance on the mound for the Knights. In the loss, the righty allowed six runs, five earned, on 11 hits while striking out a career-high six and walking none.

Offensively, FDU picked up only six hits, with Roman picking up a pair. Blue Devils' starting pitcher Cody Brown (2-2) limited the Knights to three earned runs over 6.1 innings of work while walking one and striking out one. Ingham moved from second base to the bump to record the final two outs for his second save of the season.

Sportman and Tyler McIntyre each went 3-for-3 in leading CCSU's 11-hit attack. Sportman scored twice and McIntyre had two RBI.

The four-game series will conclude on Sunday with first pitch scheduled for 1 p.m.