Quinnipiac University
Fairleigh Dickinson
Baseball Drops First Game Of NEC Doubleheader To Fairleigh Dickinson, 8-4
3/23/2012 12:00:00 AM | Baseball
HAMDEN, Conn. – The Quinnipiac University dropped the first game of a Northeast Conference doubleheader to Fairleigh Dickinson, 8-4, at Quinnipiac Baseball Field in Hamden, Conn. The second game of the doubleheader to set to take place on Friday, March 23, one half hour following the completion of the first game.
Zak Palmer (Mahwah, N.J.) became the first player to record two four-hit games in the same season with a 4-for-4 day since Tim Binkoski in 2007. Palmer also had four hits against William & Mary on March 14. Freshman Vincent Guglietti (East Haven, Conn.) was 2-for-3 with two RBI for the Bobcats. Junior Jesse Ullrich (Orange, Conn.) also had an RBI triple.
In the second inning, Lamacchia retired the first two batters he faced in the inning before giving up a two-out single to left field on a soft line drive by FDU's Riley Moonan. After Moonan stole second base, Patrick McClure followed with a ground ball just past the outstretched glove of Quinnipiac third baseman Zak Palmer that snaked its way down the left field line, allowing Noonan to score from second base to give the Knights a 1-0 lead heading into the bottom of the inning.
In the fifth, FDU's Shane Siebler lined the first pitch he saw over the head of Quinnipiac left fielder Jesse Ullrich for a double. After Jordan Ritz sacrificed Siebler over to third, Lamacchia induced a foul pop-up by Mike Eliasen for the second out of the inning before he got Ryan Kresky to fly out to left to end the threat.
In the sixth, Eric Anderson led off the inning with a line drive to the right-center field gap for a double. After Kyle Weeks' groundball to second base moved Anderson to third, Matt Holsman's bloop single down the right field line scored Anderson to give FDU a two-run lead. With Holsman taking off for second on the first pitch, Moonan lined a double to left center to score Holsman and give the Knights a 3-0 lead. After a ground ball by McClure was thrown away by Palmer at third, Moonan was allowed to score when the ball ended up out of play. A single to Siebler was then misplayed in left, allowing McClure to come around to give FDU a 5-0 lead.
In the bottom half of the inning, Forrest Dwyer (Wakefield, R.I.) hit a bouncing up the middle for a lead-off single. Ullrich then lined a ball deep to left center field where FDU left fielder Ritz's diving attempt failed, giving Ullrich an RBI triple to drive in Dwyer and cut the Knights' lead to four runs, 5-1.
Ray Buckley (Orange, Conn.) replaced Lamacchia on the hill to start the sixth. The starter's line read five runs, three earned, on nine hits over six innings. Buckley walked the first runner he faced, Kresky, before Anderson followed with his second double of the day. After Ryan MacDonald pinch ran for Anderson, Weeks' single through the left side of the infield scored both runs to give FDU a 7-1 lead. Buckley then loaded the bases with back-to-back walks to Moonan and McClure before retiring Siebler and Ritz to end the inning.
In the bottom of the inning, the Bobcats knocked FDU starter from the game with back-to-back-to-back singles by Palmer, Nic Civale (East Windsor, Conn.) and Brian Ruditys (Boothwyn, Pa.) to load the bases. After Dwyer lined out to left, Anthony Calise entered the game in relief of Warner. Warner scattered nine hits over 6 1/3 while giving up one run, but left on the hook for the three runners on base. Calise's second pitch was in the dirt, allowing Palmer to score on a wild pitch as Civale and Ruditys moved up a base, before Ullrich walked to load the bases. After Donahue struck-out looking, Guglietti delivered with a two-out, two-RBI single through the left side of the infield to cut FDU's lead to three runs, 7-4. Fairleigh Dickinson would tack on another run in eighth to push its lead to 8-4.
