TEANECK, N.J. – The FDU Knights (5-21, 5-5 NEC) delivered a commanding 19-2 victory over the Delaware State Hornets (3-17, 2-8 NEC) in a seven-inning contest.
Sophomore right-hander
Cooper Montelbano made his first Friday start of the season, tossing an impressive six innings. He struck out seven batters while allowing just one earned run on three hits.
The Knights wasted no time getting their offense rolling. In the first inning,
Franklin Gomez Jr. led off with a double and was quickly driven in by
Diego Urreta's RBI double, giving FDU an early 1-0 lead.
The second inning saw more of the same as
Felix Gonzalez opened with another double and later scored on an
Andre Bouffard single through the left side, extending the Knights' lead to 2-0.
Johnathan Gomez set the tone for the third inning with a solo home run. Later in the frame,
Tyler Worth got caught in a rundown between first and second, allowing
Joey DiMotta to race home from third, pushing the lead to 4-0.
Delaware State got on the board in the fourth inning when Sebastian Paz drove in a run, cutting the deficit to 4-1.
FDU broke the game open in the fifth, plating five runs.
Jimmy Mantuano got things started with an RBI hit, followed by Urreta's single through the right side, which brought home Gomez Jr. and Gomez. Two batters later, Gonzalez cleared the bases with a triple, capping off a dominant inning and extending the Knights' lead to 9-1.
The offensive explosion continued in the bottom of the sixth as FDU erupted for ten runs, forcing Delaware State to cycle through three pitchers. Urreta remained red-hot at the plate, driving in two more runs with a single to right field. Worth followed with a double down the right-field line, bringing home two additional runs.
Travis Stroh joined the hit parade with a two-run double, setting the stage for a pinch-hit appearance by freshman
Hunter Ray. With two runners aboard, Ray launched a three-run homer, sealing a monstrous inning and bringing the Knights' tally to 19 runs.
Delaware State managed one final run in the seventh on a Paz single to right, but the run rule went into effect, securing FDU's dominant 19-2 victory.
WHAT'S NEXT
The Knights will face the Hornets on Saturday, March 29 to continue their three-game set at Naimoli Family Baseball Complex in Teaneck, N.J. First pitch is set for 1 p.m.
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