Wilkes-Barre, Pa. (March 15) –The FDU-Florham baseball team (6-7, 1-0 MAC Free) started off MAC Freedom play on the right foot as the Devils took care of King's (4-7, 0-1 MAC Free), 16-4 on Friday afternoon.

The Devils saw four different student-athletes record a trio of RBI which included Tyrus Chippendale (Middlesex, N.J.), Aaron Santos (Bridgewater, N.J.), Jack Giovenco (Allentown, Pa.) and Mark Geist (Middlesex, N.J). Jake Hendershot (Martinsville, N.J.) also contributed greatly with three hits, two RBI, two runs scored and three stolen bases.
 
The Monarchs got going first on a two-run homer in the bottom of the first to take a 2-0 lead early. The Devils cut into the lead in the top of the second inning. Brody Donovan (South Plainfield, N.J.) led off with a double to left center and advanced to third on a ground out before being scored on a sacrifice bunt by Geist to half the lead to 2-1.
 
King's jumped out to a 4-1 lead in the bottom of the third inning on an RBI single and a throwing error, but the momentum of the game shifted completely after Fairleigh Dickinson put together a massive eight-run top of the fourth inning to switch control of the game in their favor with a 9-4 lead. The runs in that inning were scored on an RBI single to left field from Giovenco, a throwing error, a fielder's choice RBI by Chippendale, a two-run double to left field by Hendershot, and a three-run homer by Santos.
 
The Devils found another two runs in the top of the fifth inning to extend the lead to 11-4. Giovenco got on first with a bunt to third base and advanced to second on a wild pitch. Geist was walked during his at-bat and both him and Giovenco were sent home on a two-RBI double to left field by Chippendale.
 
FDU closed out the scoring in the game with another big inning, this time of five runs in the top of the eighth inning. Hendershot led off with a single to center field and stole second. Matt Aber (Basking Ridge, N.J.) walked during his at bat and both him and Hendershot stole a base to put themselves in scoring position. After Santos was walked, the Devils saw four straight at bats score with a bases-loaded hit by pitch on Donovan, a sacrifice fly from Zach Ganca (Merrick, N.J.), a two-RBI triple from Giovenco to center field and another sacrifice fly, this time from Giest to close out the game's runs.
 
Nick Rizos (Wood Ridge, N.J.) got the start and his first win on the mound this season. He pitched five innings allowed four runs (three earned) on eight hits and struck out a batter. He was succeeded by Eddie Appollina (Annandale, N.J.) who had himself an outing with no hits and no runs allowed in three innings while striking out five of his 10 batters faced. Sean Wodell (Freehold, N.J.) closed out the game in the ninth inning and allowed only one hit and struck out two of his four batters faced.
 
FDU-Florham will host the rest of its MAC Freedom series with King's tomorrow, Saturday, March 16 with the first game of their doubleheader scheduled for noon.
 
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