WAPPINGERS FALLS, N.Y. - #6 FDU opened the 2024 NEC Championship with a round one victory over #3 Merrimack by a score of 9-7. The Knights have now won 11 of their last 12 dating back to May 3. This latest triumph advances them in the winner's bracket and sets up a date with #1 Sacred Heart tomorrow at 11 a.m.
Fresh off receiving All-NEC honors,
Patrick Gardner delivered an incredibly clutch performance on the mound. The lefthander, as he has done all year, dominated the opposing lineup. Gardner stuck out six Warriors over seven innings of work, all while holding them to six hits and just one earned run. Perhaps most impressive was the junior's ability to continue to hold Merrimack off while his pitch count raced over 100. In the seventh inning, Gardner shook off a leadoff single and put the next three Warriors away to finish his day in emphatic fashion. When he left the field after that last out, his pitch count read "110".
Gardner had his stuff working, but the Knights offense arrived early this morning in upstate New York.
Brian Sanders led off the game with a single and eventually came across to score thanks to sacrifice fly from
Hunter D'Amato. Two batters later,
Joey DiMotta mashed a two-run shot in his first career NEC tournament at-bat. The Knights would lead 3-0 after one.
In the third inning, FDU got going again.
Nick Quagliato,
Joan Sosa, and
Nate Dudeck strung together three-straight hits that all resulted in runs. The Knights' lead was now 6-0.
Things became dicey after Gardner exited the game. In the bottom of the eighth, Merrimack charged back and cut what was a 7-2 FDU lead down to 7-6.
Vladimir Ceverino entered the game and stranded the tying and go-ahead runs on base with two strikeouts.
FDU needed insurance in their half of the ninth and the heart of their order was ready to provide it. D'Amato led off the inning with a double, which was followed by a
Justin Sierra walk. Quagliato stepped back up to the plate and ripped a two-RBI single. This was the final of four hits for the Knights catcher in a three-RBI, four-hit NEC tournament debut.
Merrimack tagged Ceverino for one run in the bottom half, but the righthander struck out the side on his way to his seventh save of the year and a 9-7 victory for FDU. He finished the day with five strikeouts.
The Knights hammered 16 hits off Merrimack pitching in this one. Eight of their starting nine recorded hits. Sanders, D'Amato, Qaugliato, and Sosa all had multi-hit days and combined for 12 knocks.
WHAT'S NEXT
The Knights will take on #1 Sacred Heart on day two of the NEC tournament. First pitch is scheduled for 11 a.m. and can be seen on NEC Front Row. Sacred Heart took two of three from FDU when the teams met way back in March. The winner of tomorrow's matchup will advance to the winner's bracket final.
