Box Score

NEW BRITAIN, Conn. -- Despite another stingy outing from junior right-hander Corey Zeller, the Fairleigh Dickinson baseball team was unable to avoid the three-game sweep at Central Connecticut State, falling 6-5 on Sunday afternoon.

The Knights (7-9, 0-3 NEC) led 5-1 heading into the ninth inning but the Blue Devils (6-8, 4-2 NEC) rallied for five runs in the final frame and walked off with a rare inside-the-park, three-run home run. 

Zeller provided his team with 6.1 innings of one-run ball and scattered five hits, while striking out two. The junior has now allowed just one earned run over his last 19 innings on the mound.

Batting atop the Knights' lineup card, freshmen Jason Ortiz and Peter Theodorellis finished with two knocks apiece in the loss, while sophomore designated hitter Joe O'Rourke reached base in all four of his plate appearances going 2-for-2 with a pair of walks.

The Knights fell behind 1-0 in the first inning but tied the game in the top of the second with a bases-loaded sacrifice fly from sophomore third baseman Matt Armendinger. 

In the fifth, the Knights took a 3-1 lead with two runs on just one hit. Catcher Evan McDonald tripled into the right-center field gap to knock home Brandon Seltzer and then crossed the plate when Mike Veit delivered a sacrifice fly.

The lead grew 5-1 in the seventh when four hits led to two more tallies. Seltzer led off with a double, Ortiz followed with a single and then McDonald hit a sacrifice fly. Two batters later, the freshman Theodorellis scored Ortiz with a basehit up the middle, however, the Blue Devils were able to minimize the damage by inducing an inning-ending double play.

Leading by four in the home ninth, the Knights turned to closer Joe Flack to shut the door. In search of his fifth save of the season, Flack ran into trouble by allowing the first two men to reach with a double and a single. 

Following a fly out, CCSU's Christian Layne doubled down the right field line to push runners to second and third. After a pinch-hit walk loaded the bases with one out, the Blue Devils netted a run with a groundout to make it 5-3 with runners on second and third for Chris Kanios. Kanios delivered with a fly to right that tailed away from the right fielder Theodorellis and came down inside the line allowing him to clear the bases and race home for the winning run.

Providing the home team with 2.2 innings of scoreless work in relief, Patrick Mitchell (1-0) earned the win for the Blue Devils, while Flack's record dropped to 1-1.

The Knights return to action with a home three-game series against LIU Brooklyn beginning this Thursday, March 29. First pitch is set for 3:00 p.m. at the Naimoli Family Baseball Complex.