Box Score 1 | Box Score 2

TEANECK, N.J. -- The Fairleigh Dickinson baseball team opened its four-game Northeast Conference set with Quinnipiac Friday with a split at the Naimoli Family Baseball Complex. The Knights dropped the opener, 3-2, in 10 innings before rallying over the final two innings of the seven-inning nightcap for a 3-2 victory on a walk-off double courtesy of senior Kyle Weeks (Middle Island, N.Y./Longwood). With the split FDU is now 12-34 (7-23 NEC) on the season, while the Bobcats are 15-36 (10-20 NEC) overall.

In the first game, the story was the pitching of freshman Logan Frati (Manorville, N.Y./Eastport/South Manor). The rookie tossed six no-hit innings, retired 16 of 17 batters after walking the bases loaded in the first, and sat down 13 men in a row before allowing a lead-off single to start the top of the seventh.

The Knights took an early 2-0 lead in the bottom of the second, as freshman Joel Roman (East Hartford, Conn./East Hartford) drove home senor Eric Anderson (Allendale, N.J./Northern Highlands) with an RBI groundout and freshman John Giakas (Staten Island, N.Y./Tottenville)' RBI single, which scored fellow classmate Dylan Sprague (Brunswick, N.Y./Averill Park). FDU had a chance to tack on runs later in the inning with runners on second and third and two outs but failed to score.

In the bottom of the third, Weeks and Anderson both singled with one out to put runners on the corners but a 1-6-3 double play ended the threat.

Two innings later, the Knights once again put runners on the corners after a pair of two-out singles from freshman Ryan McGrath (Lansingburgh, N.Y./Lansingburgh) and Weeks but could not add to the lead.

After Frati allowed his first hit of the game in the top of the seventh to Quinnipiac's Scott Donaghue, Ryan Nelson followed with a single down the left-field line, but he was thrown out trying to stretch the play into a double. The next batter, Forrest Dwyer, cut the FDU lead to 2-1 on a safety squeeze.

Sophomore Anthony Calise (Pearl River, N.Y./Pearl River) relieved Frati on the bump to start the eighth and walked leadoff batter Steffen Herter, who advanced to second on a sacrifice bunt. Calise was then able to get the second out on a strikeout before being pulled for sophomore Eric Snyder (Slatington, Pa./Northern Lehigh). But the Knights' closer gave up an RBI single to Chris Migani, which tied the game, 2-2.

FDU was able to put the winning run at second base in the bottom of the ninth with one out after Roman and Giakas each singled. The Bobcats, however, were able to force extra innings by retiring the final two batters of the inning.

Quinnipiac took the lead for good in the top of the 10th when Migani put the visitors up 3-2 on an RBI sacrifice fly to right field. The Knights went down in order in the bottom half of the inning to give the Bobcats the victory.

Frati received a tough no-decision after allowing only one earned run on two hits in 7.0 innings of work while walking three and striking out four. Snyder (1-1) was charged with the loss after tossing the final 2.1 innings for FDU.

Weeks and Giakas led the Knights' nine-hit attack with two safeties apiece, as seven of the nine starters collected at least one hit.

Quinnipiac's Nick Fabrizio (4-7) earned the win on the mound after going the first nine innings. He allowed two earned runs on nine hits, walked none and struck out five. Gary Binkiweicz pitched a scoreless 10th for his sixth save of the season.

Four different players collected one hit for the Bobcats, with Magani collecting two RBI and Herter scoring a pair of runs.
In game two, back-to-back doubles in the top of the second gave Quinnipiac an early 1-0 lead, but sophomore starter Brendan Butler (W. Sayville, N.Y./Sayville) was able to limit the damage by retiring the next three batters.

FDU's first scoring chance of came in the bottom of the fourth when sophomore Riley Moonan (Syracuse, N.Y./Cicero North) singled down the left-field line to start the inning before advancing to second on an error by the shortstop, which put runners on first and second with one out. But the Knights could not take advantage of the gift and failed to score.

Butler pitched out of a first and third jam with one out in the top of the fifth but allowed an RBI double in the top of the sixth that gave the Bobcats a 2-0 lead.

In the bottom half of the frame, sophomore Jordan Ritz (Newport News, Va./Woodside) and Moonan singled to begin the inning and stole second and third to put themselves in immediate scoring position. After a groundout to third for the first out, Weeks cut the deficit to 2-1 on an RBI groundout to score Ritz. Anderson and Sprague followed by reaching base on an error and a walk to load the bases, and Roman drew a bases-loaded walk on a 3-2 pitch to tie the game, 2-2, but the home team left the bases loaded to end the inning.

Butler kept the momentum with the Knights by tossing a 1-2-3 top of the seventh. In the bottom of the inning, Moonan laced a two-out double down the right-field line. McGrath was then walked intentionally, and Weeks crushed the game-winning double off the center field fence to plate Moonan and give FDU a come-from-behind 3-2 victory.

Butler (4-7) earned the victory after throwing his second complete game of the season. He allowed only two earned runs on four hits, walked three and tied a career high with six strikeouts.

Moonan went a perfect 4-for-4 out of the leadoff spot and scored two runs, while Weeks had two RBI. Ritz collected the other hit for the Knights and scored a run.

The Bobcats' Spencer Kane fell to 4-5 on the season after going the distance for Quinnipiac. He allowed three runs, two earned, on six hits, walked three and struck out four over 6.2 innings.

Vincent Guglietti had two of the Bobcats' four hits to go alone with one RBI and one run scored.

“I told the guys earlier today that I felt the way we have been playing the past couple of weeks reminds me of how we were playing early on at the beginning of last season,” Head Coach Gary Puccio said. “They are definitely learning and getting better. It is unfortunate our offense is just not there with all of the injuries. We played two very solid games with outstanding pitching performances from Logan Frati (Manorville, N.Y./Eastport/South Manor) and Brendan Butler (W. Sayville, N.Y./Sayville). Hopefully we can go out and win another one on senior day tomorrow. Kyle Weeks (Middle Island, N.Y./Longwood) had a great day for himself, and that always helps. I thought it we played very hard today.”

FDU will conclude its season on Saturday with two more contests with Quinnipiac. Game one will be seven innings and is slated to start at 1 p.m., and the series and season finale will be a nine-inning contest.

Saturday is also Alumni Day and Senior Day, as the 1960's All-Decade Team will be announced prior to the start of the first game. A brunch will also take place for the alums beginning at 11 a.m. Seniors Craig Warner (Coral Springs, Fla./Stoneman Douglas), Matt Cadigan (Freehold, N.J./Freehold), Anderson and Weeks will be honored with a ceremony in between the two contests.