Box Score

TEANECK, N.J. -- The Fairleigh Dickinson baseball team dropped the opening contest of its three-game series with Lafayette, 8-0, on Saturday in the 2014 home opener at the Naimoli Family Baseball Complex. With the victory, the Leopards improve to 3-4 on the season, while the Knights fall to 3-4 overall.

The FDU offense could only muster two hits on the day, with one coming in the bottom of the ninth. The best scoring opportunity for the Knights came in the bottom of the sixth when they loaded the bases with one out and trailing 4-0. Sophomore John Giakas (Staten Island, N.Y./Tottenville) ripped a ball destined to travel down the right-field line, but Lafayette first baseman Campbell Lipe made an unbelievable diving catch to his left to rob Giakas of extra bases. Sophomore Dylan Sprague (Brunswick, N.Y./Averill Park) then lined out hard to center field to end the threat.

The Leopards scored two in the first and added single runs in the fifth and sixth innings, before putting the game way with three in the eighth and one more in the ninth.

Sophomore Logan Frati (Manorville, N.Y./Eastport/South Manor) (0-2) was charged with the loss after allowing four earned runs on 10 hits in 7.0 innings of work. He struck out two and did not issue a walk.

Connor Ortolf stifled FDU in his 8.0-inning stint, yielding only a single to junior Riley Moonan (Syracuse, N.Y./Cicero North) in the sixth inning while walking two and striking out three.

Andrew Landolfi (leadoff) and Andrew Santomauro (third) each had three hits to pace Lafayette's 12-hit attack, as the first four batters in the lineup combined to go 10-for-17 with five runs and three RBI. Tim Lazor also drove home three RBI for the Leopards out of the fifth slot.

The two sides will conclude the series on Sunday with a pair of seven-inning contests beginning at 1 p.m. at the Naimoli Family Baseball Complex.