Box Score 1 | Box Score 2

BROOKLYN, N.Y. -- The Fairleigh Dickinson baseball team closed out its four-game series with University of Pennsylvania on Sunday at MCU Park by taking game one 3-1 and falling in game two 16-8 to finish the series at 2-2.

For the second straight start, the Knights (7-6) received another strong outing from junior right-hander Corey Zeller, who has now allowed just one run across his last 13.2 innings of work. With his 5.2 innings of one-run ball today in the team's 3-1 win, Zeller (2-1) now boasts a 2.16 ERA across his 16.2 innings this season. 

Offensively, freshman infielder Adam Frank was the catalyst as he went 5-for-8 across the two games and batted out of the leadoff spot. Frank's average now sits at .450 on the campaign.

Game 1: Fairleigh Dickinson 3, Pennsylvania 1
The Knights claimed the opening game on Sunday 3-1 behind Zeller's stellar performance.

In the home first, the Knights appeared poised to break into the run column after Frank and Mike Veit each reached with singles, however, a tough-luck line-out by Evan McDonald turned into an inning-ending double play.

The Knights responded in the second by scoring a pair off of Penn starter Mitchell Holcomb. After freshman outfielder Peter Theodorellis reached on an error, Holcomb struck out the next two Knights in order. With two away, freshman infielder Oliver Tavares came through with a big two-hit single to knock in Theodorellis and then advanced into scoring position on a wild pitch. The next batter, freshman infielder Jason Ortiz lined an opposite-field single to right to give the Knights the 2-0 edge.

In bizarre fashion, Zeller allowed his only run in the third inning. The first two Quakers (4-11) were retired but a walk, single and hit by pitch loaded the bases for Matt McGeagh. After Zeller logged a second strike on McGeagh to net a full count, the Knights' right-hander tossed the ball into the dugout in an attempt to get a new baseball. The home-plate umpire ruled that timeout was not called and awarded all three Quakers to advance a base, which resulted in the run. Zeller proceeded to strikeout McGeagh on the next pitch to escape the jam and preserve the one-run lead.

The Knights would stretch their lead to 3-1 in the bottom of the inning when McDonald launched his team-leading fourth home run over the left-center field wall.

After Zeller allowed a two-out walk in the top of the sixth, head coach Gary Puccio turned to freshman Chris Quijano to retire the final batter and move the game to the seventh and final inning.

Fifth-year right-hander Joe Flack came on and shut the door for his fourth save of the season. Flack allowed a basehit and struck out one in the inning.

Frank and Tavares each logged two hits in the victory to lead the Knights' offense, while Eduardo Malinowski registered the Quakers' lone multi-hit game.

Zeller allowed just three hits across his 5.2 innings with three walks and three strikeouts.

Game 2: Fairleigh Dickinson 8, Pennsylvania 16
After a low-scoring opening game, the second game saw the teams combine for 24 runs on 23 hits.

The Knights surrendered a run in the top of the first but answered back with one of their own in the home half of the frame when McDonald lofted a sacrifice fly to right field. Freshman outfielder Connor Stanton attempted to double tag from second base when he saw a casual throw come from the right fielder to the infield but Penn second baseman Chris Adams fired a strike to home plate to nab Stanton and keep the game tied at 1-1.

The Knights would open up a 4-1 lead in the fourth with a fielder's choice RBI by Veit and a two-run single by Ortiz. 

Freshman right-hander Aaron Cohn started for the Knights and held the Quakers to just one run over the first innings but ran into trouble in the fifth. An error started the trouble for FDU and after a strikeout, Cohn plunked the next batter before allowing an RBI single. Puccio turned to Quijano for the second time on Sunday but the freshman struggled and after wild pitch and a pair of walks allowed a run to score, classmate Dom Spinoso was called upon to put out the fire.

Spinoso inherited a 2-0 count and battled back to 2-2 before eventually walking in the tying run. He then fell behind 2-1 on the next batter, Matt O'Neill, who deposited the next pitch over the left field fence for a grand slam, which put the Quakers on top 8-4.

The FDU pitchers struggled with their control all game long and amassed 11 walks in the loss. Trailing 10-5 in the seventh, Veit scored a run with a bases-loaded groundout and then the Knights received some help when a routine fly ball to center field got caught up in the wind and dropped, which allowed two runs to score to make it a 10-8 game.

The Knights would not get any closer as the Quakers tacked on one in the eighth and five in the ninth off of relievers Corbin Dunnuck and Bobby Ramsey as they pulled away for the victory.

Frank remained hot with a 3-for-5 effort in the game, while Stanton and Jason Fatzinger each notched two hits in the loss.

Adams led the charge for Penn with four hits in six at bats and totaled three runs and two RBIs.

Next Up:  The Knights open up Northeast Conference action next weekend when they travel to New Britain, Connecticut to take on Central Connecticut State. The three-game series begins on Friday, March 23 at 3:00 p.m.