WILKES-BARRE, Pa. (April 13, 2018) - The FDU baseball team was tripped up by King's College 11-4 Friday afternoon.

The Devils drop to 8-15 on the season, and 2-7 in the Middle Atlantic Conference Freedom. The two teams will meet in Madison, N.J. tomorrow to complete the three game series.

FDU notched a run in the top of the first. Junior Ian DHavran doubled to left field to lead-off the game, and the following hitter, freshman AJ Yurista, knocked him in with a single to left-center.

Junior Brad Norris cruised through two innings, but ran into trouble in the third. The Monarchs tallied three runs, the big hit a two-run double from Chris Rebar. After the Monarchs scored in the fourth, Norris limited the damage by getting a double-play to end the frame.

The hosts added to their lead in the fifth, scoring on a single with two outs. FDU dug into the lead in the sixth, starting with an infield hit from senior Reynaldo Diaz. After a walk to classmate Christopher Franco put runners on tne corners, senior Jack Paladino singled to left, plating Diaz. Two batters later, junior Kevin Smiegocki singled back up the middle, scoring a pair of runs.

Norris was chased in the home half of the sixth as King's added three runs to the lead, but freshman Rob McGuinness ended with a strikeout. King's had placed runners on second and third before the punch out.

FDU loaded the bases in the eighth, as Franco and David Wilbur walked along with a single from Joseph Bonaccorso. Smiegocki reached on a fielder's choice, cutting the deficit to three. With the tying run at bat, senior Ben Dranow lined out to second to end the inning.

The Monarchs closed the scoring with three runs in the bottom of the eighth, including a two-run double.

Smiegocki recorded three RBI's, while Franco scored a pair of runs. McGuinness worked a perfect 1 1/3 innings of relief, striking out one. Norris was saddled with the loss, giving up eight runs but only two earned in 5 2/3 frames.