ANNAPOLIS, Md. – After rallying from three runs down, the Fairleigh Dickinson baseball team was unable to take the lead against Penn State, falling 8-4 on Sunday afternoon.
 
The Knights (3-8) trailed 3-1 before eventually tying the game in the top of the eighth but the Nittany Lions (10-4) scored five in the bottom of the inning to pull away with the win.
 
In the loss, redshirt sophomore outfielder Rossario Maertz registered his first home run as a Knight – a solo blast – and finished 2-for-4, while sophomore catcher Kyle Huber knocked in a run in a 1-for-4 effort.
 
Junior right-hander Chris Quijano started for the Burgundy and Blue and earned a no decision, tossing five innings allowing three runs (two earned) on five hits, while striking out four.
 
The Nittany Lions' starter Conor Larkin racked up 10 strikeouts across 6.2 innings but also earned a no decision as Jared Freilich (2-0) pitched the final 2.1 frames to close out the win.
 
After the Knights fell behind 1-0 in the first, they tied the game in their next turn at bat when Tony Socci crossed the plate on an error. Socci had reached with a leadoff double and scored when Michael Gruber's groundout was thrown away.
 
The Nittany Lions would net an unearned run in the third and another on a sacrifice fly in the fourth inning to establish a 3-1 edge.
 
Down by two in the seventh, the Knights netted another unearned score when Eric Bittiger reached on a throwing error, which allowed Gruber to cross the plate. Gruber delivered a two-out single and moved into scoring position after the next batter, Evan Barrera, singled through the right side of the infield.
 
The Burgundy and Blue would tie the game in the eighth after sophomore Tom Ruscitti earned a one-out walk. Then, an infield single by classmate Nate Brodsky, followed by an RBI single from Huber tied the game at 3-3. Freilich escaped the jam by striking out the next two Knights to keep the game knotted heading to the bottom of the frame.
 
Back-to-back one-out doubles by the Nittany Lions resulted in the go-ahead run. In total, PSU would net five runs on three hits in the eighth to break the game open. Second baseman Gavin Homer capped the scoring with a two-run double.
 
The home run by Maertz came in the ninth as he smacked his first of the season down the left field line.
 
The Knights are back in action this Tuesday, March 10 when they host Lehigh at 1:00 p.m.
 
Paul Miller Auto Group is the presenting sponsor of the 2020 FDU baseball season.