MADISON, N.J. – Under the lights at Dodge Field, the FDU-Florham baseball team dropped the first-ever Madison Avenue Challenge 4-2 to Drew University on Thursday night.

Drew University (13-20) starter Kevin Skettini kept the Devils' bats in check over his 5.2 innings of work and despite several scoring opportunities in the late innings, FDU-Florham (9-20) was unable to conquer its cross-street rival.

Drew notched a run in the top of the first off of FDU-Florham starter Kenny Carrier (Freehold, N.J.) after three singles setup a run-scoring hit by Mike Miraglia.

The Devils offense went to work in the home second with a leadoff walk and singles by Reynaldo Diaz (Monroe, N.Y.) and Christopher Franco (Wayne, N.J.). With the bases loaded and nobody out, Skettini induced a double play, which scored the Devils' first run before Nick DeAngelis (East Hanover, N.J.) put FDU-Florham in front by lacing a two-out, RBI-single to centerfield.

The Rangers immediately responded with a tally in the top of the third on a bases-loaded sacrifice fly from JC Rasic.

FDU-Florham threatened in their half of the fourth when two walks and a wild pitch gave the home team runners in scoring position with just one out, however, Skettini struck out the next two batters to escape the jam and keep the game deadlocked at 2-2.

After a scoreless fifth, the Rangers regained the lead with two runs in the sixth. Mike DiDonato set the tone with a leadoff single and advanced to third on a sac bunt and wild pitch. On the sixth pitch of his at bat, Jonathan Rodrigues lined a double to the gap in left center, which plated DiDonato and put Drew on top 3-2. The Rangers tacked on one more when FDU-Florham freshman reliever Ian Romano (Davie, Fla.) plunked Miraglia with the bases loaded for the fourth run.

Leading 4-2 in the top of the eighth, the Rangers turned to closer Matthew Hunter, who was seeking a six-out save but the Devils would not make it easy on the senior side-armer.

Following a hit batsman and a single by DeAngelis, the Devils had the go-ahead run at the plate with two outs but Hunter recorded a key, inning-ending strikeout to preserve the lead.

In the home ninth, FDU-Florham backstop Kevin Sinclair (Fairfield, Conn.) kicked off the frame with an opposite field single through the left side. With one out, Frankie Tassielli (Florham Park, N.J.) smoked a slicing liner to right field but DiDonato ran it down for out number two.

The next batter, Nick Meoli (East Meadow, N.Y.), reached on a single up the middle, which brought Diaz to the plate representing the winning run. No stranger to late-inning heroics -- having already delivered one-walk off shot this season-- Diaz, the Devils freshman first baseman, crushed a long fly ball to the fence in right field that DiDonato managed to track down and haul in to end the ballgame.

DeAngelis was the lone Devil to record a multi-hit game finishing 2-for-4 with an RBI, while Meoli went 1-for-3 with a run scored in the loss.

In total, the Devils used seven pitchers in the contest with Tyler Keefe (Roxbury, N.J.) and Joe Hofmann (Colonia, N.J.) each tossing two innings and the other five hurling one apiece.

Skettini earned his first win of the season for the Rangers by going 5.2 innings, allowing four hits, two earned runs, striking out four and walking five. Hunter picked up his fifth save of the campaign and struck out three across his two innings of work.

Up next for the Devils is a key three-game conference tilt against King's College, which begins with a home game tomorrow, April 24 at 3:30 p.m.