Box Score 1 | Box Score 2

BRIDGEPORT, Conn. -- The Fairleigh Dickinson baseball team dropped both ends of its seven-inning Northeast Conference doubleheader on Saturday to Sacred Heart, 10-3 and 6-3, at The Ballpark at Harbor Yard. With the victories, the Pioneers improve to 23-21 (18-9 NEC) on the season, while the Knights fall to 11-31 (6-21 NEC) overall.

After FDU stranded runners on second and third in the top of the first of the opener, Sacred Heart scored five times in the bottom half off starter Joe Borelli (Wallingford, Conn./Mark T. Sheehan ) to take an early 5-0 lead.

For the second inning in a row, the Knights placed runners on second and third and failed to score. But in the top of the third, they loaded the bases and cut the lead to 5-1 on freshman Joel Roman (East Hartford, Conn./East Hartford)'s bases-loaded walk that scored fellow classmate John Giakas (Staten Island, N.Y./Tottenville). The inning then ended on a 4-6-3 double play.

The home team responded in the bottom half of the third with a single run to extend the lead to 6-1. FDU once again loaded the bases in the top of the fourth but failed to score.

In the top of the fifth, freshman Dylan Sprague (Brunswick, N.Y./Averill Park) singled to lead off the frame and scored on fellow classmate Ryan McGrath (Lansingburgh, N.Y./Lansingburgh)'s first career triple, which rattled around in the right field corner with one out. McGrath then came around to score on sophomore Riley Moonan (Syracuse, N.Y./Cicero North)'s RBI fielder's choice, which cut the deficit to 6-3.

SHU put the game away with three runs in the bottom of the fifth and one more in the sixth to take the opener, 10-3.

The Knights were outhit by the Pioneers, 14-11, and stranded 13 base runners. Giakas and Sprague each had three hits, while senior Kyle Weeks (Middle Island, N.Y./Longwood) and McGrath each added a pair.

Borelli (0-6) was charged with the loss after allowing five runs, three earned, on five hits in only 0.2 innings. Senior Eric Anderson (Allendale, N.J./Northern Highlands) came on and pitched 3.2 innings of relief and struck out three.

Brian Lamboy paced SHU with three hits and three RBI. Nick Leiningen tossed 5.0 innings to move to 5-3 on the season, scattering 10 hits and allowing three earned runs.

In the nightcap, sophomore Jordan Ritz (Newport News, Va./Woodside) singled with one out in the top of the first, stole second and scored on Weeks' two-out RBI single to right field to put FDU ahead 1-0.

The Pioneers came back to tie the game, 1-1, in the bottom of the second on an RBI groundout.

SHU then took the lead for good with a single runs in the third and fourth innings, two in the fifth and one more in the sixth to take a 6-1 lead heading into the Knights' final at-bat.

FDU scored a pair of unearned runs in the top of the seventh on a two-out error by the second baseman, which cut the lead to 6-3, but it was not enough, as the Pioneers hung on for the sweep.

Five different players collected a hit for the Knights, and Weeks picked up the only RBI. Sophomore Brendan Butler (W. Sayville, N.Y./Sayville) (3-7) went the distance on the bump for his second complete game of the season but was charged with the loss after allowing six earned runs on nine hits while walking four and striking out four.

John Murphy had two hits and two RBI to lead the Pioneers, and Keaton Flint added three RBI. Lamboy picked up two more hits to finish the day with five.

Jeff Stoddard also went the distance for SHU, as he walked one, struck out three and limited FDU to only one earned run on five hits en route to improving to 6-2 on the season.

“We obviously have to play better than we played today,” Head Coach Gary Puccio said. “We are giving away too many runs and making too many young mistakes. We are going to have to keep plugging away the rest of the year.”

The two sides will conclude their four-game series on Sunday with a single contest at 1 p.m.