TEANECK, N.J. – The Fairleigh Dickinson baseball team dropped a non-conference tilt 8-1 to Seton Hall at the Naimoli Family Baseball Complex on Wednesday afternoon.
 
In the loss, freshman outfielder Tony Socci hit his second home run of the season, which accounted for the Knights' lone run in the contest.
 
The two teams have now split their two meetings this season as the Knights (3-17-1) claimed a season-opening win over the Pirates (8-12) who return to Teaneck for a rubber game next Tuesday, April 2.
 
Cole Patten (1-2) started for the Pirates and pitched six innings of scoreless baseball, limiting the Knights to two hits, while striking out eight.
 
The Knights totaled three hits on the day with freshman George Rosales and senior Evan McDonald tallying one apiece.
 
Shortstop Steve Grober led the attack for the Hall with a 3-for-4 effort, which included two RBIs and a run scored.
 
After a pair of scoreless frames, the Pirates netted a run in the third with some help from the FDU defense. Two throwing errors allowed Chris Villa to reach third base on a groundball. The next Pirate, Grober blooped a single into centerfield for the first score of the contest.
 
Grober knocked in another run with a single in the fifth and the Pirates scored another on a Matt Toke single in the sixth to lead 3-0.
 
In the seventh, the Pirates broke the game open with five runs on five hits, highlighted by a two-run blast by Casey Dana.
 
Pinch-hitting in the ninth, Socci stepped in and hit the first pitch he saw over the right-center field fence for a solo home run. With his 1-for-1 effort, Socci is now batting .323 on the season.

The Knights sent six pitchers to the mound in the game including junior right-hander Jared Prevete, who closed the game with two scoreless innings and a pair of strikeouts. Sophomore Dom Spinoso (0-2) took the loss allowing one earned run in his one inning of work.
 
The Burgundy and Blue return to Northeast Conference action this weekend as they welcome Sacred Heart to the Naimoli Family Baseball Complex for a three-game series beginning on Friday, March 29.