WILKES-BARRE, Pa. – A 4-for-5 game at the plate for junior Vinny Bonaccorso (Toms River, N.J.) helped push the FDU-Florham baseball team past the Wilkes University Colonels 8-5 in game one of a Freedom Conference doubleheader, but the Colonels got their revenge and used a 10-run third inning to dust the Devils, 17-6 in game two on Saturday afternoon in Wilkes-Barre, Pa.
The hard throwing Bobby Bray (Fairfax, VA) got the start for the Devils (8-18, 6-8 Freedom) in game one and he went 5.2 innings while striking out six batters.
Bray got into trouble in the bottom half of the first when Jarrett Clymer walked for the Colonels (14-13, 8-6 Freedom) and after he stole second base, he was brought around to score by a Stephen Ruch RBI single to right center.
In the second, Reynaldo Diaz (Monroe, N.Y.) drew a walk and later crossed the plate on a Nick DeAngelis (East Hanover, N.J.) RBI single to third. With the game knotted up at 1-1, the Colonels looked to recapture the lead in the second. Joe Champi drew a walk and three batters later, Bobby Schappel doubled into left field. Clymer then stepped up to the plate and brought both of the baserunners in with a two-RBI single up the middle.
Bonaccorso led off the top of the third for the Devils with his second single of the afternoon. Following a Frankie Tassielli (Florham Park, N.J.) walk, Diaz notched a two-RBI double to make it a 3-3 game.
The Colonels retook the lead one more time in the fifth after plating a run. However, in the top half of the sixth, a costly error by a Colonels' infielder led to Alex Geramita (Old Tappan, N.J.) reaching base safely. The power hitting Christopher Franco (Wayne, N.J.) then came up and got a hold of a pitch and launched it over the left center field fence for a two-run home run. The Devils added two more runs in the inning and grabbed a 7-4 lead.
Bray got into trouble once again in the bottom half of the sixth when Joshua Slocum reached base on an error by FDU-Florham. He came around to score a few batters later on a throwing error by a Devils' fielder. The Devils then turned to the bullpen and John Armstrong (Cranford, N.J.) and Steven Smiegocki (Hamilton, N.J.) closed it out and helped the Devils capture the 8-5 win over the Colonels.
In game two, Bonaccorso was the first FDU-Florham batter to reach base safely after he shot a single through the right side in the first inning. Two batters later, Diaz sent the ball over the fence for a two-run home run and the Devils had a hold of a 2-0 lead. In the top half of the second, James Dertouzos (Waldwick, N.J.) was hit by a pitch and he later came around to score once Josh DellaPietro (Bayville, N.J.) blasted a shot over the outfield fence for the second two-run homer of the afternoon for the Devils.
Trailing 4-0 entering the bottom half of the second, the Colonels managed to punch across three runs. Looking to pull back into the game and retake the lead, the Colonels' bats erupted as they went on to explode for a 10-run third inning to take a 13-5 lead over the Devils.
FDU-Florham managed to plate one more run in the in sixth after Joseph Bonaccorso (Scotch Plains, N.J.) tripled to right field and came around to score on a DellaPietro double, but it was too late as the offensive outburst by the Colonels in the third inning was too much to overcome.
The Devils will travel to St. David's, Pa. for a Freedom Conference matchup against the Eastern University Eagles on Sunday, April 19 at 1 p.m.
