Box Score

TEANECK, N.J. – Senior Joel Roman (East Hartford, Conn./East Hartford) hit two home runs and the Knights scored five times in the first inning, but Sacred Heart charged back to win 8-7 on Friday afternoon.

The Knights (18-19, 8-8 NEC) entered the ninth inning with a 7-3 lead, but the Pioneers (19-14, 10-2 NEC) scored five times to take the lead.

The Fairleigh Dickinson offense got going early with senior Dylan Sprague (Brunswick, N.Y./Averill Park) belting a leadoff home run in the top of the first off SHU starter James Foley.  Foley looked to be working out of further trouble when sophomore Bobby Romano (Philadelphia, Pa./Archbishop Ryan ) lined a two-out, two-strike base hit to center to score junior Matt McCann (West Windsor, N.J./West Windsor-Plainsboro ) and move senior John Giakas (Staten Island, N.Y./Tottenville) to second.

The next batter was Roman and he delivered a long three-run home run to right field to give the Knights an early 5-0 lead.

Sacred Heart began to creep back into the game with single runs in the second and third innings.

However, in the bottom of the third Roman stepped to the plate again.  This time blasting a two-run homer to right that gave FDU a 7-2 lead.

Freshman Tim Quinn (Farmingville, N.Y./Sachem East), making his second career start, kept the Pioneers from scoring again until the eighth inning.  Quinn was finally lifted for a reliever with two outs in the eighth.  His final line was 7.2 innings, three runs on nine hits with five strikeouts and no walks allowed.

Quinn left the game with a runner on first base, that runner eventually scored SHU's third run of the game before redshirt junior Ryan Brennan (Mooresville, N.C./Mooresville) came on to retire the final batter of the eighth inning.

However, the Pioneers were able to get to Brennan in the ninth scoring five runs on five hits, including back-to-back doubles to tie and take the lead with two outs.

Brennan takes the loss on the mound and falls to 0-1 on the season.  Baylor Sundahl earned the win for SHU, he is 1-2.  James Cooksey picked up the save for the Pioneers.

Roman's home runs were his second and third of the season and he totaled five RBI in the game.  Sprague, Roman and McCann each finished with two hits.

The series will resume with a doubleheader on Saturday, April 23.  First pitch is slated for 1 p.m.