FDU Knights Athletics

FDU Baseball (31-18-1, 24-8 NEC) dropped the second game of the all-important series in the NEC Baseball calendar at the hands of the LIU Sharks (27-19, 22-6 NEC) at Naimoli Family Baseball Complex Friday afternoon, as the ballgame that lasted over four hours resulted in a 11 inning loss for the Knights. 

The Knights and Sharks both scored in the first inning, as LIU added a run in the top half of the inning, only for it to be answered by a Travis Stroh two-run home run to give FDU their first lead of the series, taking a 2-1 lead into the second inning.

The long ball would help the Knights in the second frame too, as Caleb Walker hit his third home run of the season to push the FDU lead out to a pair of runs heading into the third. 

Both teams would trade two runs in the fourth inning, as the Knights led 5-3 after the first four innings of play. LIU used a big rally against FDU starter Jeremy Cheeseman in the fifth inning to plate five runs, and take a 8-5 lead into the bottom of the fifth. 

FDU would answer by cutting down the Shark lead to just a run in the sixth, as the Knights manufactured two runs. FDU would get the game tied with a Diego Urreta RBI walk in the seventh, where the game would hold scoreless until the 11th, as both squads got phenomenal relief outings from pitchers in this ballgame. FDU reliever Nick Noble threw up five straight zeros against the Sharks, throwing 109 pitches. 

The Knights finally got to Noble in the 11th inning, scoring four runs and taking a lead into the bottom of the 11th, where the Knights got to Sharks closer Alex Jankowski, giving the middle of the order a chance to swing the bats with the tieing run at the plate. The Knights would cash in for a pair of runs on a Nick Quagliato single, but do no more damage, and the Sharks were able to salvage the win in a thrilling game. 

FDU's loss today officially cements the Knights as the two seed in the NEC Tournament, meaning the Knights will meet Wagner at Skylands Stadium at 4 p.m. 
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