FLEMINGTON, N.J. (April 25, 2019) – Senior
Jake Alercio delivered an RBI single in the bottom of the eighth inning to drive in the go-ahead run as the FDU-Florham baseball team knocked off Wilkes University 6-5 Thursday afternoon.
FDU improves to 12-25 overall, 5-14 within the Middle Atlantic Conference Freedom as Wilkes drops to 14-19 and 7-12 in the conference.
The Colonels pushed a run across in the top of the first, as an RBI double brought the run home. Sophomore
Joseph Kastner settled in, getting a strikeout and groundout to end the frame. The Devils battled back with a three-spot in their opening at-bat of the contest. Sophomore
Nate Peacock led off with a single up the middle before stealing second. Classmate
Chris Ciancimino walked, and sophomore
Matt Nodoro singled to right to load the bases. Junior
Jonathan Biale singled home Peacock, before consecutive run-scoring outs by sophomore
AJ Yurista and rookie
Brian Schnack pushed the score to 3-1.
The lead was short-lived, as the visitors knotted the game at three with two runs in the top of the second. Wilkes put runners on base in the third via a one-out walk and an error, but a 6-4 double play ended the inning without a run crossing the plate. The Colonels added single tallies in the fourth and the sixth to build a 5-3 lead. The guests looked to add to their lead in the seventh, but a heads up by Biale nabbed a runner trying to steal third.
Peacock began the comeback in the seventh as he walked with one out. Junior
Michael Tufano followed suit before Nodoro roped a double down the left field line to plate Peacock. After a pitching change, Biale lofted a fly ball to right field, and Tufano beat the throw home with a headfirst slide to level the score at five. Senior
Joseph DeFeo entered in the top of eighth and set Wilkes down in order before the Devils took the lead for good in the home half of the stanza. Schanck worked the count full before delivering a double down the right-field line to lead off the inning. After moving up on a sacrifice bunt by rookie
Tyler McCulloch, Alercio came through with his knock. The senior hit a liner that the right fielder was charging, and got past the fielder allowing Alercio to go to third with Schnack scoring.
DeFeo came back out for the ninth and needed just eight pitches to set the Colonels down 1-2-3 to earn his first victory of the season.
INSIDE THE BOX SCORE
• DeFeo and sophomore
Matthew Godlewski combined to toss three shutout innings, allowing just two base runners.
• Kastner matched his season-high with six innings on the mound, recording one strikeout.
• Peacock and Nodoro each recorded a pair of hits, with Peacock adding two walks.
• Yurista led all fielders with 12 put-outs at first base.
UP NEXT
The Devils close out the season on Saturday, traveling to Wilkes for a doubleheader. First pitch is scheduled for 1 p.m.
