ST. DAVIDS, Pa. – Heading into the ninth inning with a two-run lead, the FDU-Florham baseball team was unable to close out the game and was ultimately defeated by the Eastern University Eagles 6-5 in a Freedom Conference showdown on Wednesday afternoon in St. David's, Pa.

The Eagles (5-9, 2-2 Freedom) jumped on the board right away when Ryan McMenamin notched a double and then came around to score on a Timmy Gorton RBI double on the next at bat. Eastern added another hit when Joe Grato singled to right, but the Devils (1-11, 0-2 Freedom) made it out the inning without allowing anymore damage.

Freshman Mike Rapaglia (Staten Island, N.Y.) was on the mound for the Devils and he gave up his second run of the afternoon in the top of the third. McMenamin worked a walk for the Eagles and stole second. Gorton then came up and hit his second RBI double of the game, scoring McMenamin to give Eastern a 2-0 lead.

In the bottom of the fourth, Frankie Tassielli (Florham Park, N.J.) led off the inning for FDU-Florham with an infield single. A pass ball allowed him to advance to second and once Kevin Sinclair (Fairfield, CT) came up and reached on an error, the Devils had first and third with no outs. The Eagles committed their second consecutive error and the bases were loaded with Nick Meoli (East Meadow, N.Y.) up to bat. Meoli flew out to left field but it was deep enough to bring in Tassielli for the Devils first run of the game.

The Devils loaded the bases again in the bottom of sixth and with no outs, Vinny Bonaccorso (Toms River, N.J.) hit an RBI single. FDU-Florham added one more run in the inning to make it a 4-3 game.

Following back-to-back singles and a walk, Dylan DiPolvere (Toms River, N.J.) stepped up to the plate and knocked in two runs with a single to left center to give the Devils a 5-4 lead.

Trailing by one run entering the ninth inning, Bobby Bray (Fairfax, VA) came in to close the game for the Devils. After recording an out, Grato doubled down the right field line for the Eagles. Bray then struck out the next batter for the second out of the inning. However, on the ensuing at bat, Andrew Check tied the game up with an RBI single. Check then stole second base, advanced to third on a wild pitch and came in to score what turned out to be the game-winning run on an error by the catcher.

FDU-Florham will return to Madison to play host to the Manhattanville College Valiants on Friday, April 3, at 3:30 p.m.