PHILADELPHIA, Pa. - The Faireligh Dickinson baseball team racked up 11 hits in a losing effort against the La Salle Explorers Wednesday afternoon, 19-9.
The Knights return to action this weekend when they head to Emmitsburg, Md. for their NEC opener against Mount St. Mary's with a pair of double-headers on Friday and Saturday.
Evan McDonald and Sal Monticciolo each finished with three hits on the afternoon to lead the Knights at the plate, while Monticciolo's five RBI's set a new season high for the freshman.
Right-hander Bobby Pigozzi earned the loss on the mound for the Knights, scattering six hits and six earned runs along with three strike outs over three innings to push his record to 0-2 onto season.
It didn't take the Knights long to get into the action Wednesday, as the Burgundy and Blue managed to get on the board first for the fifth straight game.
After leadoff man George Rosales reached on a hit by pitch, Monticciolo stepped up and belted a double to center that scored Rosales and gave FDU a 1-0 lead.
Two at-bats later, Monticciolo scored himself courtesy of a sac fly from Tony Socci to make it a two run lead.
La Salle responded with a four-hit, three-run first of their own, retaking the lead after a Quentin Brown single up the middle made it 3-2.
One inning later, FDU loaded the bases with no outs after a Socci infield single, however La Salle hurler Pete Berenato managed to work his way out of the jam, striking out Michael Gruber and Connor Stanton before a Brad Levinson ground out ended the frame.
La Salle would tack on ten runs over the next three innings, pushing their lead to 13-2.
The Knight's best inning offensively came in the sixth, largely thanks to two-out grand slam belted over the left field fence by Monticciolo to cut the Explorer lead down to seven. After Levinson reached on an error, a Nate Rush walk and Tristan Plescia bunt single set the stage for Monticciolo, who cleared the bases the next at bat.
Dillon Forsythe would finish the game on the mound for FDU after Jared Prevete's relief duty ended in the sixth, giving ups just one hit and no runs over the final two innings of the game.
FDU went yard again in the ninth after a Levinson three-run shot scored Stanton and McDoanld, the first multi home run game of the season for the Knights.
It would prove to be the final hit of the game, however, as Nate Rush struck out the next at bat to end the game and secure a 19-9 win for La Salle.
