Box Score

NEW BRITAIN, Conn. -- The Fairleigh Dickinson baseball team lost for just the third time in its last 10 outings, falling in its 2018 Northeast Conference opener 5-3 at Central Connecticut State on Friday afternoon.

Freshman right-hander Evan Raiburn started for the Knights (7-7, 0-1 NEC) and went four scoreless before allowing one in the fifth and two in the sixth. Raiburn earned a no decision after 5.1 innings of work, with three earned runs, seven hits and four strikeouts.

Junior catcher Evan McDonald was the lone Knight to log a multi-hit game as he finished 2-for-4 with a run scored.

CCSU had 13 hits in the home victory and their pitchers struck out 10 Fairleigh Dickinson batters on the day. The Blue Devils' (4-8, 1-0 NEC) top two hitters Nick Garland and Buddy Dewaine combined for a 6-for-8 performance at the dish to spearhead the team's offense.

After four scoreless frames, the Knights opened the scoring with two runs in the fifth. McDonald led off with a double and scored when Joe O'Rourke singled through the right side. Freshman Jason Ortiz netted the Knights' second tally with a two-out single that plated Jason Fatzinger, who had drawn a walk earlier in the frame.

Dewaine got things going for the Blue Devils in the home half of the inning with a leadoff single. A walk set up a fielder's choice to score Dewaine with the first run of the contest. Raiburn clipped the scoring there with some help from McDonald, who nabbed the third-base runner for a caught stealing before an inning-ending groundout.

The Blue Devils moved in front in the sixth after they opened the inning with a bunt single that turned into two bases after an FDU error. Two batters later Garland singled through the left side to tie the game at 2-2. The Knights went to the bullpen and turned to freshman Austin Crebs, who allowed a base hit to Dewaine, which put the Blue Devils on top by one. Crebs struck out the next batter and limited the damage by retiring the next Blue Devil.

In the top of the eighth, the Knights manufactured a run to tie the game after freshman Oliver Tavares smacked a leadoff double. Ortiz came up next with a sacrifice bunt and pinch-hitter Matt Armendinger knocked in Tavares with a sacrifice fly. 

The lead would not last as the Blue Devils roared back with a pair in the bottom of the inning. The home team opened the inning with three straight hits -- a single and two doubles -- to take the 5-3 lead. 

The Knights threatened with two outs in the ninth when Peter Theodorellis singled and Fatzinger drew a walk. But the Blue Devils' junior Jared Gallagher buckled down and retired O'Rourke for the game's final out. Gallagher earned the win by tossing two innings of relief. Brandon Fox started for CCSU and tossed seven innings, allowing two runs and racking up eight punchouts.

These two teams square off tomorrow at 1:00 p.m.