PURCHASE, N.Y. (April 18, 2019) – The FDU-Florham baseball team was topped by Manhattanville College 7-3, and 9-7 in Middle Atlantic Conference Freedom play Friday.

FDU falls to 11-23, 4-14 within the MAC Freedom, as Manhattanville improves to 20-13, 12-6 in the conference.

GAME 1: Manhattanville 7, FDU-Florham 3
The Devils opening the scoring in their first at-bat of the twin bill, starting with a one-out single from sophomore Nate Peacock. After stealing second, Peacock moved onto third base courtesy of a double from junior Kevin Smiegocki. Junior Michael Tufano brought Peacock home with a run-scoring groundout.

Freshman Kyle Nepton allowed just one hit through two innings but ran into a little trouble in the third. A single and a hit by a pitch with two outs put runners on first and second, but Nepton got a fielder's choice to end the inning. After the Valiants worked a one-out walk in the fourth, Nepton induced a 4-3 double play to close out the frame.

The Devils doubled their lead in the fifth, as Tufano picked up an RBI double. Sophomore Matt Nodoro led off with a bunt single before Peacock moved him into scoring position with a sacrifice bunt. Tufano battled through an eight-pitch at-bat before notching a double into left field, increasing the lead to 2-0.

The Valiants battled back, scoring three times in the home half of the fifth to take a 3-2 lead before the Devils were able to level the game in the sixth. Sophomore Chris Ciancimino led off with a four-pitch free pass before moving to third on a pair of groundouts. Entering as a pinch-hitter, junior Billy Podurgiel beat out an infield single and scored Ciancimino from third.

Manhattanville scored four runs on four hits in the sixth before the Devils went down 1-2-3 in the seventh to close out game one.

GAME 2: Manhattanville 9, FDU-Florham 7
Much like the opener, the Devils wasted little time getting on the board. This time, it took just four pitches, as Nodoro belted a home run to left center field. After a walk and a single, Tufano singled into centerfield, giving FDU the 2-0 lead. The damage was limited, as the next two batters struck out to end the first. The hosts scored single runs in the first and second to tie the contest at two, but senior Brad Norris settled down and retired seven straight hitters from the third to the fifth stanzas. In the fifth, the Valiants scored two runs with one out, taking a 4-2 lead into the sixth.

FDU looked poised to score in the sixth, as an error and a single coupled with a wild pitch put runners on second and third with two outs. Neither run would score, as a pop-up to right field was recorded for the third out. Manhattanville struck for two runs in the bottom of the sixth, with the Devils needing four runs to extend the game.

Freshman Tyler McCulloch was hit by a pitch to lead off the inning, and singles by Tufano and Ciancimino loaded the bases with one out. Sophomore Hakim Hamer laced an 0-1 offering down the left field line, scoring all three runners and cutting the deficit to just one. After a fly out, Smiegocki came up in a pinch-hitting role and dropped a single into right field scoring Hamer and leveling the game. The Devils had a chance to take the lead, but Smiegocki was thrown out at the plate trying to score on a Bobby Hefferon single.

The Valiants didn't score in their half of the seventh, and the game moved into extra innings. Nodoro led off the eighth with a bunt single before moving to third on a single from sophomore AJ Yurista. With men on the corners, Tufano beat out a fielder's choice to plate Nodoro and push the Devils back in front. The next two hitters were retired on a foul out and a fly out, and FDU looked to close out the game in the bottom of the inning. With one out, Manhattanville put two runners on via a single and a walk. A pinch-hitter came up and delivered a walk-off, three-run home run to end game two.

INSIDE THE BOX SCORE
•    Yurista went 4-for-5 in the second game, including a double.
•    Tufano had two RBI's in each contest and went 2-for-5 in the nightcap.
•    Nodoro hit his second home run of the season and the second of his career.
•    Norris recorded two strikeouts in 4 1/3 innings.

UP NEXT
The Devils are back in action on Tuesday, traveling to Ramapo College at 3 p.m.