Box Score

BRIDGEPORT, Conn. -- The Fairleigh Dickinson baseball team dropped its Northeast Conference opener with Sacred Heart, 5-2, Friday at The Ballpark at Harbor Yard. With the victory, the Pioneers improve to 21-21 (16-9 NEC) on the season, while the Knights fall to 11-29 (6-19 NEC) overall.

Sacred Heart scored a run in the bottom of the third on a two-out double to go up 1-0, as the ball deflected off the palm of a diving Ryan McGrath (Lansingburgh, N.Y./Lansingburgh)'s glove.

The Pioneers extend their lead to 2-0 in the fourth on a bases-loaded walk, before taking a 4-0 lead with a pair of runs in the sixth on a pass ball and two-out RBI single.

The Knights cut the lead to 4-1 in the top of the seventh on freshman John Giakas (Staten Island, N.Y./Tottenville)' ringing RBI double to the wall in left-center field that scored fellow classmate Dylan Sprague (Brunswick, N.Y./Averill Park). FDU would put runners on the corners later in the inning but failed to score.

SHU got a run back in the eighth on a single up the middle, which put the home team back up four at 5-1.

FDU scored a two-out run in the ninth when Sprague scored after a throwing error by the third baseman, but it was not enough, as the Pioneers took the opener, 5-2.

The Knights managed only six hits, with senior Kyle Weeks (Middle Island, N.Y./Longwood) picking up a pair. Freshman starter Nick Cuono (Hawthorne, N.J./Montvale Saint Joseph ) (2-6) was charged with the loss on the mound after going 4+ innings and allowing two earned runs on three hits. Four pitchers combined to allow 12 hits.

Troy Scribner went the distance for the Pioneers to improve to 4-2 on the season. He allowed two runs, one earned, on six hits, walked two and struck out nine.

“I thought we played well, but we made a couple key mistakes that led to three runs,” Head Coach Gary Puccio said. “Three runs is a big difference against a team like Sacred Heart. Hopefully, we will have better results tomorrow.”

The two sides will return to action on Saturday morning with a pair of seven-inning contests scheduled to begin at 11 a.m.