DALLAS, Pa. (March 24, 2019) – The FDU-Florham baseball team was topped in a 14-10 slugfest by host Misericordia University Sunday afternoon.
The Devils dropped to 5-10 overall, and 1-5 within the Middle Atlantic Conference Freedom, while the Cougars moved to 13-6, 5-1 in the conference.
The Cougars wasted little time in scoring, putting up five runs on three hits. The Devils did manage to get an additional runner out at the plate attempting to score on a knock to center, as senior
Ian Havran hit sophomore
AJ Yurista, who gunned home to catcher
Jonathan Biale for the out. The Devils chipped away for three in the second. Sophomore
Matt Nodoro,
Joe Moskowitz and Yurista along junior
Michael Tufano hit consecutive singles to bring in two runs. Junior
Kevin Smiegocki knocked the other run in with a run-scoring fielder's choice.
The Devils leveled the game at five in the third, as Moskowitz dropped down a perfect sacrifice bunt with men on the corners to plate rookie
Tyler McCulloch. Yurista was the next hitter and drove in a run with an RBI knock to left field. Sophomore
Jeremy Bello settled down after the rocky start, allowing just two hits over the next two innings.
FDU took the lead in the fourth, as Havran led off with a walk. The speedster swiped second before moving to third on a wild pitch. McCulloch gave the team lead with a sacrifice fly to right field, putting the Devils up 6-5. Misericordia rebounded in their half of fourth, collecting three runs on three hits.
The visitors loaded the bases in the fifth, as Moskowitz and Yurista walked before Tufano was hit by a pitch. Sophomore
Nate Peacock dropped a single into right field for an RBI before Smiegocki delivered a sac fly to once again even the game at eight. Sophomore
Matthew Godlewski took over in the fifth and didn't allow a run despite hitting the first two hitters he faced. The sophomore retired the next three hitters to escape without damage.
Nodoro started a two-out rally in the sixth, singling to right-center. The sophomore stole second before Moskowitz singled back up the middle, scoring Nodoro from second. Godlewski allowed a one-out double in the sixth but finished the inning out with a pop-up and a groundout as the game moved to the seventh.
The Cougars scored twice in the seventh on two hits before Biale drove in Havran with a groundout in the eighth to once again knot the game at 10. Misericordia erupted for four runs in the eighth, all coming with two outs on just one hit. The Devils got a pair of runners on base in the ninth but were unable to find the runs to force extra innings.
INSIDE THE BOX SCORE
• Nodoro set a career-high with four hits while scoring three times.
• Moskowitz, Yurista, and Tufano each had two hits, while Moskowitz and Yurista each drove in a pair of runs.
• Godlewski threw a career-best 2 1/3 innings.
UP NEXT
The Devils will return to action on Tuesday, taking on Centenary in non-conference action at 3 p.m. The game will be played at Diamond Nation in Flemington, N.J.
