TEANECK, N.J. – The Fairleigh Dickinson baseball team concluded its 2019 season with a 10-3 loss to Wagner on Senior Day at the Naimoli Family Baseball Complex.
 
Prior to first pitch, the Knights honored seniors Dillon Forsythe, Evan McDonald and Bobby Romano.
 
Forsythe made his first career start for the Burgundy and Blue (15-37-1, 9-15 NEC) and lasted 3.1 innings allowed three runs (two earned) and struck out three batters including the last Seahawk he faced. McDonald launched his 10^th home run of the season and 28^th of his career in a 1-for-4 effort, while Romano finished 0-for-3 with a walk but played seven defensive positions.
 
In addition to the seniors, freshman outfielder Tom Ruscitti also went yard for his 14^th home run of the season and finished his first campaign as the NEC's home run champion.
 
Anthony Pecora paced the Seahawks (18-30, 11-13 NEC) by going 4-for-5 with five RBI including a grand slam, which broke the game open. With the win, Wagner earns the No. 3 seed in next week's NEC Tournament.
 
After Forsythe escaped a first-inning jam, Pecora delivered a sacrifice fly in the second for the first run of the game. The Seahawks would net one run in the third and two in the fourth to establish a 4-0 lead.
 
Ruscitti opened the home fifth inning by taking the first pitch of the at bat and depositing it over the right-field fence for a solo home run. The freshman's blast, which broke a tie with teammate Salvatore Monticciolo for most home runs in the league, was a no-doubter as it landed across the road near the FDU Tennis Courts.
 
Three batters later, McDonald stepped in with one aboard and drove a two-run homer to straight-away center field, which made it a 4-3 game. McDonald's shot, which marked the end of Wagner starting pitcher Eric Ligda's afternoon, solidified his spot in the FDU record books as he finishes third all-time in home runs at the University. The senior catcher also finishes his career with 197 hits, which is the sixth most by a Knight.
 
Reliever Ryan Lauk came on in relief of Ligda and issued a walk to Romano before inducing an inning-ending fly out to preserve the one-run lead.
 
Still trailing by one in the home sixth, Brad Levinson pinch hit for the Knights and came through with a one-out double. The next batter, Ruscitti poked a single through the left side of the infield and proceeded to steal second base.
 
With the tying and go-ahead runs now aboard, Lauk settled down and struck out the next two Knights to end the inning.
 
The Seahawks proceeded to break the game open in the seventh against FDU reliever Peter Theodorellis. Five straight singles resulted in two runs before Theodorellis struck out catcher Johnny Kampes. The next batter was Pecora and he unloaded on an 0-1 pitch driving it over the center-field fence for a grand slam, which established the final 10-3 lead.
 
Emmanuel Corporan and Ryan Seburn pitched a 2.2 scoreless frames but the FDU offense was unable to cut into the deficit in their final two turns at bat.
 
Romano finishes his FDU career ranked fourth in program history with 132 runs scored across his 184-game career.
 
With nine conference wins the Knights finished the 2019 campaign in sixth place and two games out of the final postseason spot.