Box Score

STATEN ISLAND, N.Y. -- Freshman Joel Roman (East Hartford, Conn./East Hartford)'s career-high fifth hit of the day, a two-out, RBI line-drive single to center field in the top of the 16th inning, was the difference in the Fairleigh Dickinson baseball's team thrilling 13-12 victory over Wagner in Northeast Conference action on Sunday at Richmond County Bank Ballpark.

With the win, the Knights salvage the final game of their four-game set with the Seahawks and improve to 4-21 (1-11 NEC) on the season, while Wagner falls to 12-15 (5-3 NEC) overall.

The 16-inning contest saw the two sides combine for 25 runs, 43 hits and five errors. FDU pounded out a season-high 23 hits, with Roman leading the way with a 5-for-8 effort, which included one walk, three runs and two RBI. Eight of the nine starters in the Knights' lineup collected at least one hit, while seven collected multiple safeties.

FDU had three opportunities to end the game against the Seahawks after holding leads in the ninth, 11th and 12th innings, but Wagner was able to answer in its chances to extend the contest.

Back in the second inning, the Seahawks scored with two outs on an RBI single through the right side off the bat of Chase Gray to take an early 1-0 lead. But the Knights answered with a run in the top of the third to tie the game at one, as sophomore Riley Moonan (Syracuse, N.Y./Cicero North) led off the frame with a double and scored on fellow classmate Jordan Ritz (Newport News, Va./Woodside)'s two-bagger down the right-field line before being stranded.

Things looked grim for FDU after Wagner scored five times in the bottom of the fourth for a 6-1 lead. The big blow of the inning came off the bat of Chris Smith, who cranked a two-out, three-run homer over the left field fence.

The Knights' offense then took off in the top of the fifth, as they sent 10 men to the plate and scored five runs on six hits to tie the game, 6-6. With one out, FDU loaded the bases before freshman Dylan Sprague (Brunswick, N.Y./Averill Park) started the merry-go-round with an RBI single to right field to score Ritz and cut the deficit to 6-2. Freshman Ryan McGrath (Lansingburgh, N.Y./Lansingburgh) then hit a first-pitch RBI sacrifice fly to center field, as freshman John Giakas (Staten Island, N.Y./Tottenville) sprinted home from third base to cut the lead to 6-3.

After the Knights reloaded the bases on Roman's single up the middle, sophomore Brett Bittiger (Saylorsburg, Pa./Pius X) drove home senior Eric Anderson (Allendale, N.J./Northern Highlands) and Sprague with a two-run single to right field. Moonan then tied the game with his RBI single through the right side to score Roman.

Sophomore Joe Borelli (Wallingford, Conn./Mark T. Sheehan ), who started on the mound for FDU, kept the momentum with the Knights after retiring the Seahawks in order in the fifth and sixth innings.

FDU extended the momentum when it took its first lead of the game at 7-5 with two runs in the top of the seventh. Roman stroked a deep RBI double to left-center field, which scored McGrath from first base after he beat the throw to the plate. With two outs, Moonan singled home Roman. The Knights then loaded the bases but failed to tack on more runs.

Sophomore Anthony Calise (Pearl River, N.Y./Pearl River) relived Borelli to start the seventh inning and did not allow a run in his one-inning stint after working out of trouble.

In the bottom of the eighth, sophomore Yonah Perline (Dix Hills, N.Y./St. Dominic) relieved Calise and got the first out of the inning but followed by plunking a batter and yielding a single to put runners on first and second. Fellow classmate Eric Snyder (Slatington, Pa./Northern Lehigh) was then summoned into the game for the five-out save, and gave up a tough RBI single through the left side off the bat of Ian Miller, which cut the FDU lead to 8-7. After the blemish, Snyder was able to have Smith ground into the inning-ending 4-6-3 double play.

After Giakas was stranded at second base to end the top of the ninth, the Knights ran into bad luck in the bottom half of the frame, as Wagner tied the contest, 8-8. With two outs and a man on first, Snyder appeared to have induced a game-ending pop up, but poor communication took place between the second-baseman Weeks and the right-fielder Sprague, which allowed the ball to fall safely in shallow right field, putting runners on at the corners.

The next batter, Tommy Mazurkiewicz, singled up the middle on a 2-2 pitch to tie the game and advance the game-winning run to second base. Gray then came to the plate and hit the first pitch for a single to right field, but Sprague came up throwing and threw out the potential game-winning run at the plate to keep the contest tied and force extra innings.

Neither side scored in the 10th, but FDU struck first in extra innings with a run in the top of the 11th to retake the lead, 9-8. Sophomore Ryan MacDonald (Bethpage, N.Y./Island Trees) reached on an error, and Roman ripped a single off Seahawks' pitcher Anthony Battaglia to start the inning. With one out, Moonan also laced a single off Battaglia, who's throw to first base ended up out of play, which allowed Moonan to go to second, Roman to third and MacDonald to score the go-ahead run. Senior Kyle Weeks (Middle Island, N.Y./Longwood) was then intentionally walked to load the bases, but FDU failed to score with the final two batters of the inning.

In the bottom half of the 11th, Snyder allowed a double, sandwiched between the first two outs of the inning, but advanced the runner to third when he lost control of his pickoff attempt, which ended up in left-center field, advancing the runner to third base. Wagner's Jayson Keel then hit a routine groundball to shortstop, but he was able to beat the throw at first with his speed to tie the game, 9-9. Keel then stole second base, but Snyder got a line out to second base to end the inning.

The Knights appeared to have taken commanding lead in the top of the 12th when they scored three times to move ahead, 12-9. FDU loaded the bases with one out, and Bittiger started the scoring with an RBI single to right field, scoring Sprague, and Moonan followed with an RBI sacrifice fly to left field, plating MacDonald. After Weeks walked on four pitches to reload the bases, Ritz delivered a two-out, RBI single up the middle, which score Roman, but Bittiger was thrown out at the plate for the final out after trying to score from second.

Freshman Logan Frati (Manorville, N.Y./Eastport/South Manor) relieved Snyder to start the bottom of the 12th on the bump and struck out the first batter he faced for the first out. The Seahawks then put two runners on base with singles before Smith stroked a double to left-center field to cut the Knights' lead to 12-11. After Frati got the second out on a fly out to center field, Nick Alfano tied the game at 12 with an RBI single up the middle to extend the contest.

Over the next three innings, FDU was retired in order, while Wagner put runners on first and second in the 14th and 15th innings before Frati pitched out of trouble.

In the game-winning 16th inning, Giakas singled to lead-off the frame before sophomore Jose DeLeon (Paterson, N.J./Eastside) and Sprague walked to load the bases with nobody out. MacDonald then came to the plate and lofted a fly-ball out to left field, but Giakas was thrown out at the plate to complete the double play, as he tried to score on the play. Roman followed and ripped  the 2-0 pitch with two outs to center field to give the Knights the lead for good.

Frati allowed two runners to reach in the bottom of the 16th, as the Seahawks put runners on first and second with two outs. But a groundout to shortstop and a flip to second base for the force out gave FDU the thrilling 13-12 victory.

“That was a big character-building win for us,” Head Coach Gary Puccio said. “I am really proud of the team fighting so hard to get the win and never giving in. There is a lot to be said about the effort, and as we move forward, we hope this will jump start us and bring more success.”

Frati (1-1) picked up his first collegiate win on the mound after throwing the final five innings. Despite allowing three earned runs on six hits, the righty did not allow a run over the final four frames and finished his outing with three walks and four strike outs.

Borelli allowed six earned runs on seven hits in 6.0 innings of work while walking three and striking out one. Snyder pitched 3.2 innings of relief, gave up two hits, issued one walk, struck out two and allowed two runs, one earned.

Alfano pitched 4+ innings of relief for Wagner and was charged with the loss before being pulled with the bases loaded in the 16th inning. Starter Paul Mammino gave up 11 hits and six earned runs in five innings before Max Schmardel allowed two earned runs on three hits in 1.2 innings of relief. Battaglia walked none, struck out two and allowed one unearned run on four hits in 4.1 innings of work.

After Roman's five-hit effort, Moonan finished 4-for-7 with a run and three RBI, while Bittiger ended the day 3-for-9 with three RBI. The trio, who made up slots 7-9 in FDU's batting order, combined to go 12-for-24 with two walks, seven RBI and four runs.

Ritz and Giakas also had three hits and scored a run, with Ritz driving home a pair, while Anderson and Sprague each added two safeties, with Sprague and MacDonald each scoring two runs.

Miller and Smith, who hit 1-2 in the Wagner order, led the Seahawks with four hits and two runs each, while Smith collected five RBI, and Miller stealing two of the Seahawks' seven bases. 

The Knights will return to action April 12-14 when it hosts LIU Brooklyn in a four-game NEC series. Game one will be Friday, April 12, with first pitch scheduled for 3 p.m. at the Naimoli Family Baseball Complex.