MADISON, N.J. – The FDU-Florham baseball team begins the 2026 season with a perfect 6-0 start after the team swept Lehman College in a doubleheader at home Saturday afternoon,
Game 1:
Devils Highlights
- Junior Eddie Appollina threw five shutout innings, punching out seven and allowing no hits in his outing.
- First year Noah Fiorillo put up big numbers against the Lightning, going 2-for-3 with a triple, four RBI and three runs scored.
- Sophomore Xavier Diaz continued his hot streak as he went 2-for2 at the plate with two RBI and two runs scored.
- Senior Zach Ganca also had a big day at the plate, going 1-for-3 with a three-run home run, six RBI and two runs scored.
How It Happened
- After Appollina went 1-2-3 in the top of the first, the Devils got right to work in the bottom half as they put together a six-run inning. RBI from senior Nicholas Colbert, Diaz, Fiorillo, and Ganca helped propel the team into a commanding lead.
- In the bottom of the second, the offense once again exploded on the scene. Capped off by a three-run homer run to right field off the bat of Ganca, the Devils took full control of the game and brought their lead to 11-0.
- As Appollina continued to make quick work of the Lightning, the Devils' offense kept their foot on the gas. Additional RBI from senior Parker Muratore, junior Jake Knapp, sophomore Matt Bond, and first year Noah Mednick gave the team an 18-0 lead going into the top of the fifth inning.
- Down to their final three outs due to an agreed upon 15-run mercy rule after five innings, the Lightning went down in order as Appollina struck out two in the fifth inning to ice the game and lead the Devils to their fifth consecutive win.
Game 2:
Devils Highlights
- Diaz led the offense in Game 2 as he went 2-for-2 with a double, a triple, two RBI and two runs scored.
- First year Andrew Parisi got his first start behind the plate and delivered in his at-bats, going 2-for-2 with one RBI and one run scored.
- Junior John Rolli had a solid Game 2, going 1-for-3 with a triple, three RBI and two runs scored.
- Senior Nick Rizos and sophomore Trenon Stanard combined for six innings of one-run baseball while striking out eight.
How It Happened
- After a quick top of the first, the offense picked up where they left off in Game 1. After Lightning pitching loaded the bases with two outs, Fiorillo opened the scoring as a ball in play to left field was misplayed and cleared the bases due to the error on the Lehman left fielder.
- In the top of the second, Rizos struck out the side and in the bottom half the FDU offense kept rolling as RBI from Tommy Sica, Rolli, Diaz, and Parisi, extended the Devils' lead to 8-0 after two innings.
- The Devils produced another big inning in the bottom of the third, putting together a four-run inning to extend their lead to 12-0. Rolli, Sica, and Diaz all added to their RBI count for the game while senior Nick Colbert joined it on the RBI parade with a run scoring single to right center.
- In the top of the fifth, FDU pitching faced its only trouble of the day as the Lightning strung together three consecutive hits and put one run on the board to make it a 12-1 ballgame.
- After Stanard tossed a scoreless top of the sixth, sophomore Matthew Bond drove in the game-ending run in the bottom of the inning to give FDU the 13-1 win.
Game Notes
- The team's 6-0 start is the best start that FDU has seen since before 2009.
- Between the two games, the offense plated 31 runs on 21 hits.
- The combined pitching staff of Appollina, Rizos, and Stanard allowed one run and four hits, while striking out 15 batters.
Up Next
The Devils look to extend their unbeaten run as they take on Rutgers-Newark at home on Tuesday, March 3 at 3:00 p.m.
For the latest on FDU-Florham Athletics, follow the Devils via social media (@FDUDevils) on X, Facebook, and Instagram.
