Box Score 1 | Box Score 2

TEANECK, N.J. -- The Fairleigh Dickinson baseball team split its seven-inning doubleheader with NJIT for the second straight day on Sunday at the Naimoli Family Baseball Complex. Because of poor field conditions at the Highlanders' home field, the Knights were the away team on their home turf. FDU took the opener, 3-2, before NJIT claimed the nightcap, 5-2. With the split, the Knights move to 12-23 on the season, while the Highlanders go to 14-19 overall.

FDU had a chance to strike first in game one, as it loaded the bases with two outs in the top of the first but failed to score. However, NJIT was able to score the first run of the contest on Scott Brosman's RBI sacrifice fly in the bottom of the second to move in front, 1-0.

The Knights quickly responded in the top of the third with two runs to take a 2-1 lead. Sophomore Ryan Brennan (Mooresville, N.C./Mooresville) and junior Riley Moonan (Syracuse, N.Y./Cicero North) stole third and second, respectively, with one out, and sophomore John Giakas (Staten Island, N.Y./Tottenville) reached safely on a RBI fielder's choice to score Brennan and tie the game at 1-1. Freshman Zach Tondi (Wood-Ridge, N.J./Bergen County Technical) followed with a one-out RBI single to push FDU ahead, 2-1, as Moonan scored from third. The Knights were then unable to tack on in the inning.

The Highlanders answered in the bottom half of the third on Stephan Halibej's RBI sacrifice fly to knot the game at 2-2.

With two outs in the top of the fourth, Brennan delivered what proved to be the game-winning hit with a two-out triple that plated sophomore Dylan Sprague (Brunswick, N.Y./Averill Park) and gave FDU the lead back at 3-2.

NJIT placed runners on first and second with two outs in the bottom of the fourth, which ended Knights' starter John Chalupa (Monroe, N.Y./Monroe-Woodbury)'s day. Sophomore Nick Cuono (Hawthorne, N.J./Montvale Saint Joseph ) came in and induced a fly out to center field to end the threat.

Bad base running would cost the Highlanders in the bottom of the sixth when they had a chance to put runners on second and third with one out after Rex MacMillian doubled down the left-field line off junior Yonah Perline (Dix Hills, N.Y./St. Dominic). But on the play, Brennan threw out Brosman at third base for the second out of the inning. Junior Eric Snyder (Slatington, Pa./Northern Lehigh) then relived Perline and recorded a groundout to shortstop to halt the NJIT momentum.

After FDU stranded Sprague at second base in the top of the seventh, Snyder tossed a 1-2-3 inning to close out the game in the bottom half to give the Knights the one-run victory.

Chalupa allowed both runs, one earned, on just two hits in 3.2 innings of work while walking four and striking out two. Cuono (2-3) notched the victory despite his one-third of an inning on the bump.

Junior Anthony Calise (Pearl River, N.Y./Pearl River) tossed a scoreless fifth inning and struck out one, and Snyder earned his fifth save of the season after recording the final four outs, including one strikeout.

DJ Roche went the distance in the loss for the Highlanders. He scattered four hits, walked six, struck out five and yielded three earned runs.

In game two, FDU was playing from behind from the start, as NJIT scored an unearned run on a drop-third strike with two outs in the bottom of the first to take a 1-0 lead.

The Knights scored an unearned run of their own in the top of the second on redshirt sophomore Patrick McClure (Fayetteville, N.Y./Fayetteville-Manlius )'s RBI sacrifice fly. Giakas came home to score to tie the game at 1-1. FDU had runners on first and second later in the inning but failed to score.

Tom Bouck quickly gave the Highlanders the lead back in the bottom half of the frame with a one-out-two-run homer over the right field fence for a 3-1 advantage.

Later on in the top of the fifth, Sprague trimmed the deficit to 3-2 with a two-out RBI single that scored freshman Matt McCann (West Windsor, N.J./West Windsor-Plainsboro ).

But NJIT would put the game away in the bottom of the fifth with a pair of runs to increase its lead to 5-2. Mike Rampone drove home the first run with a one-out RBI single, before the second run scored on what was thought to be an inning-ending 4-6-3 double play, but the runner was ruled safe at second base.

The Knights would muster only two hits over their final two at-bats, resulting in the Highlanders taking the nightcap, 5-2, to split the doubleheader and the four-game series.

Junior Joe Borelli (Wallingford, Conn./Mark T. Sheehan ) (1-1) took the loss on the bump for FDU after allowing five runs, four earned, on seven hits while walking one and striking out four in 4.1 innings of work.

Alex Daniele went the distance for NJIT in the victory, as he allowed two runs, one earned, on seven hits to go along with one walk and three strikeouts.

McCann went a perfect 3-for-3 and scored a run to lead the Knights' offense. Giakas added two hits and a run. Bouck paced the Highlanders' attack with two hits, two RBI and a run, while Matt Weckerle recorded two hits and two runs.

FDU resumes play May 2-4 when it travels to Brooklyn, N.Y. to face LIU Brooklyn in a key Northeast Conference series. Game one's first pitch on Friday is slated for 3 p.m.