Box Score

TEANECK, N.J. – Powered by five home runs, the Fairleigh Dickinson baseball team rolled to a 14-7 victory over NJIT at Naimoli Family Baseball Complex on Wednesday night.
 
In the win, Jason Fatzinger launched a pair of solo blasts, while Ryan Brennan hit a grand slam, which broke the game wide open for the Knights (2-9), who won their second home game in as many days. Sophomore catcher Evan McDonald and freshman second baseman Jorge Iza also went yard for FDU on the afternoon.
 
Sophomore left-hander Evan Layne (1-1) picked up his first win of the campaign by tossing five innings, allowing five hits and two runs, while striking out six Highlanders.
 
With the loss, the Highlanders drop to 2-8 on the season.
 
NJIT struck first with a solo homer from designated hitter Johnny Malatesta in the top of the second but the Knights roared back with a pair of their own in the home part of the frame. Iza's first homer of the season was a two-run blast, then, two batters later, Fatzinger hit his first of the day to make it a 3-1 Knights' lead.
 
Leading 3-2 in the fourth, freshman Owen Vonesslinger delivered the biggest hit of the game for the Knights. The Knights loaded the bases with nobody out but NJIT reliever Bryan Sondergard struck out back-to-back hitters.
 
Sondergard nearly escaped the massive jam but Vonesslinger grinded to a full count before slicing a bases-clearing double down the right field line, which provided the Knights a 7-2 cushion.
 
Senior shortstop Matt McCann immediately followed with a triple in the right-center field gap to score Vonesslinger and stretched the Knights' lead to six.
 
Then in the home fifth, McDonald delivered a two-run homer, which gave FDU a 9-2 lead.
 
The Highlanders managed to chip away to make it a 9-6 game before Brennan provided the Knights all the breathing room they would need. With two outs and the bases loaded, the senior first baseman clobbered a first-pitch fastball over the center field fence for a 13-6 advantage.
 
Fatzinger's second homer of the game came in the bottom of the seventh, which capped the scoring for FDU as the game was called due to darkness after the seventh inning. With his two-home run day, the Knights' junior right fielder now has three homers in the last two days.
 
Five Knights recorded multi-hit games led by Brennan, who crossed the plate four times to go along with his four RBI.
 
FDU will look to continue the momentum when they return to action next Wednesday, March 15 at Hofstra. The team's next home game will also mark the start of NEC action when they host Bryant for a three-game series beginning on Friday, March 17.