DANBURY, CT – The FDU-Florham baseball team trumped the Western Connecticut State University Colonials 13-9 in a non-conference road game on Wednesday afternoon in Danbury, Conn.
Kevin Sinclair (Fairfield, CT) took the leadoff role for the Devils (10-23) in the game and he was efficient at the plate, going 3-for-5 with three runs scored and two RBI.
The FDU-Florham bats came alive in the top half of the second when Vinny Bonaccorso (Toms River, N.J.) led off with a double into center field. Following back-to-back walks, Josh Dellapietro (Bayville, N.J.) grounded out, but Bonaccorso came in to score. Two batters later, Sinclair rifled a two-RBI single into left field and the Devils grabbed hold of a 3-0 lead.
In the top of the third, the Devils loaded the bases up and Alec Fenstermache (Ridgewood, N.J.) shot the ball into left field for a three-RBI triple, his first of the year.
Trailing 6-0 heading into the bottom half of the fourth, the Colonials (15-18) had their leadoff runner on when Frank Vartuli doubled down the left field line. Bryan Harper then came up and shot a two-RBI single into left field to cut the deficit to four.
The Devils added two more runs in the sixth when Sinclair drew a base on balls and scored on a Frankie Tassielli (Florham Park, N.J.) double into right center. After a costly error by a Colonials' fielder, the Devils plated another run in the inning and led 8-2.
The Colonials came marching back into the game in the bottom half of the seventh. Joe Costa got on base with a single into left field. FDU-Florham recorded the second out of the inning, but the Colonials' bats shined with some big two-out hits. EJ Lavoie notched an RBI double into left field and he came around to score on a Matt Greene RBI single into right. After loading up the bases, Harper was hit by the pitch and another run crossed the plate. John Kelly then stepped up and knocked a two-RBI single into left center to cut the Devils lead to just one.
With a one-run lead, the Devils got back-to-back singles from Sinclair and Nick DeAngelis (East Hanover, N.J.). Both came around to score on a Tassielli two-RBI double into left. Bonaccorso then came up with Tassielli on second and notched an RBI single into left center to put the Devils up 11-7.
In the bottom half of the eighth, the Colonials plated a run on a Greene sacrifice fly and three batters later, Harper knocked an RBI single up the middle.
Holding on to a two-run lead, the Devils loaded the bases up in the ninth and Nick Meoli (East Meadow, N.Y.) rifled a two-RBI single up the middle to help FDU-Florham grab the 13-9 victory over the Colonials.
The Devils will play in their final game of the season on Saturday, May 2, when they host the Misericordia University Cougars for a Freedom Conference doubleheader slated for 1 p.m.
