FDU Comes From Behind to Defeat Long Island, 8-7

(Box Score)

5/13/07 -- The Long Island University baseball team dropped an 8-7 decision to Fairleigh Dickinson to wrap up a four-game Northeast Conference series. The Knights came back from three runs down to avoid a sweep, but Blackbirds still managed to win their first series of the season, three games to one.

The Blackbirds (12-34, 6-17 NEC) got to Fairleigh Dickinson starter Nicholas Melchiorre early, hanging a three spot in the top of the first. Third baseman Dan Pirillo (Marlboro, N.Y.) was hit by a pitch to lead off and moved to third on a single by rightfielder Robby Rowen (Rosendale, N.Y.). One out later, Pirillo scored on an RBI groundout by leftfielder Frank DiMasi (Staten Island, N.Y.). It was DiMasi’s ninth RBI of the series. Singles by first baseman James Jones (Brooklyn, N.Y.) and shortstop Greg DeSantis (Bridgewater, N.J.) increased the Long Island advantage to 3-0.

Fairleigh Dickinson (9-39, 4-19) answered back with three runs in the bottom of the first on back-to-back-to-back RBI singles by John Paganotti, Bryan Greer and Mark Morton. The Blackbirds retook the lead with a run in the second when Pirillo reached on a two-out error by the third baseman and came around to score on a single by Rowen.

DiMasi struck again in the fifth inning with a bases-loaded RBI. He chopped the ball back to the shortstop, who flipped to second for the first out of the inning. DiMasi beat the throw to avoid a double play. Jones followed with a run-scoring single to put Long Island up 6-3. DeSantis came up next and laced a single to center to plate DiMasi and move Jones to second.

In the bottom of the fifth, Chris Grabowski drew a leadoff walk off Long Island starter Rich Moran (Carmel, N.Y.) and scored on a double by Zachary Sand, who was thrown out at third. After allowing back-to-back singles, Moran got Greer to fly out to center to get out of the inning without further damage.

Moran pitched well enough to win, allowing four runs over six innings on nine hits and two walks. He struck out four.

Moran was relieved by righthander Ryan Ekberg (Carmel, N.Y.) who failed to record an out in the seventh. Ekberg walked the first two batters he faced before giving up a two-run double to Vincente-Alexander Medina to cut the Blackbirds’ lead to 7-6. John Dooley (Deer Park, N.Y.) came on and struck out the first batter he faced before allowing a walk to put runners on first and second. Morton then singled to left to bring home the tying run. After the throw home, catcher Danny Etkin (Brooklyn, N.Y.) tried to get the runner out heading to third, but the throw sailed into left field allowing Fairleigh Dickinson to take an 8-7 lead.

Dooley took the loss and dropped to 1-1 on the season. Stephen Brush earned the win for the Knights, improving to 1-1. Terry Lydecker picked up his first save.

Long Island will host Rider on Tuesday, May 15 at 3:30 p.m. The game will be played at KeySpan Park.