CARY, N.C. – Freshman Salvatore Monticciolo launched his first career home run as part of a four-RBI day and the Fairleigh Dickinson baseball team topped Army West Point 10-5 at the USA Baseball Complex on Saturday morning.
 
The Knights (2-0-1) earned the win over the Patriot League favorite Black Knights (3-4) after resuming action today. The game was suspended yesterday in the fourth inning due to rain.
 
Monticciolo spearheaded a 12-hit day for the Knights with a 2-for-4 effort. Junior Mike Veit went 3-for-4, while  Nate Brodsky and Brad Levinson added two hits apiece.
 
First-year right-hander Bobby Pigozzi collected his first career win, tossing three innings of two-run ball for the Knights and classmate Joey Kosowky netted his first career save by providing 2.1 innings of scoreless relief.
 
The Knights found themselves trailing 2-0 after one inning of play but a monstrous third inning turned the tables.
 
In the game-changing third, the Burgundy and Blue exploded for seven runs on five hits. Veit started the barrage with a single, Brodsky followed with a double and Adam Frank drew a walk to load the bases.
 
Two batters later, Bobby Romano plated a pair with a two-run single to center field. Monticciolo stepped in with one out and two on and clobbered his first career long ball over the right-field fence, which extended the lead to 6-2 and marked the end of Army starter Mike Gagliardi's afternoon.
 
Jacob Carte came on for Army and issued a walk to Tom Ruscitti and an RBI single to Levinson before closing out the frame.
 
When play resumed on Saturday morning, the Cadets netted two runs on three hits in their first turn at bat. Trey Martin knocked in one with a single and the home team scratched across another with a sacrifice fly.
 
Monticciolo would knock in his fourth run of the day in the top of the sixth with a double to right field to extend the lead to 8-4.
 
Leading 8-5 in the ninth, the Knights tacked on two more thanks to a two-run single by Brodsky. Evan McDonald netted a leadoff walk, Levinson was hit by a pitch and then Veit walked to set the table for the Knights' leadoff man. Brodsky stepped in and stroked the first pitch he saw right back up the middle.
 
The Cadets threatened in the bottom of the inning but Kosowsky induced a key 6-4-3 double play to quell the momentum before ending the game with a punchout.
 
The Knights are back in action later today when they play a seven-inning doubleheader against Dartmouth beginning at 1:00 p.m.