Chris Grabowski

April 30, 2005

TEANECK, NJ - Fairleigh Dickinson University collected 22 hits en route to a 20-7 victory over visiting St. Francis (NY) in Northeast Conference (NEC) baseball action on Saturday afternoon. Center fielder Chris Grabowski (Brooklyn, NY) led the attack by going 4-for-7, scoring five runs and smacking his first collegiate home run. Third baseman Jovan Santos (Woodhaven, NY) also went 3-for-6 for the Knights, including a three-run home run and finished with four runs batted in.

The Knights (9-20, 7-11 NEC) got on the scoreboard in the bottom of the first as a pair of errors led to three unearned runs. Grabowski led off by reaching on an infield error and advanced to third on an errant pick off throw at first. John Desiderio (Staten Island, NY) then knocked him in with a ground out and RBI singles from Gary Mannuzza (Forked River, NJ) and Santos gave FDU an early 3-0 advantage.

The Knights struck again in the second stanza as Stewart Goodwin (Teaneck, NJ) laced a two-out double to left center. He advanced to third on a wild pitch and after Ben Cass (Warwick, NY) walked, Goodwin scored on a base hit by Matt Born (Saskatoon, Canada). Mannuzza followed with a double to center field, plating two more runs and giving FDU a 6-0 lead.

FDU starter John O'Hara (Staten Island, NY) set down the first nine Terriers (6-26, 3-12 NEC) he faced in order and the Knights tacked on four more runs in the third, taking advantage of three errors and stretching the margin to 10-0.

The Terriers broke through in the fourth as Philip Marchese (Staten Island, NY) and Vin Tepedino (Staten Island, NY) led off with their first two singles of the contest. Two batters later, David Noble (Bronx, NY) singled to load the bases. After O'Hara got the second out of the inning with a strikeout, he walked Tom Curry (Brooklyn, NY) to force in a run, but struck out the next batter to get out of the inning without further damage.

FDU answered with three runs, all with two outs in the bottom of the fourth. They got five hits in the inning, including a two-run double off the bat of Goodwin and run-scoring single from pinch hitter Vincente-Alexander Medina (No. Bergen, NJ) to take a 13-1 lead.

St. Francis cut the margin to 13-4, getting three runs in the fifth, two of them unearned as FDU made a pair of errors. Noble had an infield hit in the inning to knock in a run.

The Knights scored two more in the sixth to stretch the lead back to 15-4. Grabowski led the inning off with a solo shot over the center field fence and got another run on a fielder's choice by Ed Watson (New City, NY).

The Terriers came right back with three runs in the seventh, two of them unearned, cutting the deficit to 15-7. The Knights then sent 10 men to the plate in the eighth, scoring five times, the big blow a three-run home run by Santos.

O'Hara worked the first five innings, scattering six hits and striking out eight, while allowing just two earned runs to notch his second win of the year for FDU. Adam Vogel (Cincinnati, OH) and Tim Bonham (Marshfield, MA) gave the Knights four solid innings of relief to close it out. Vogel gave up just one earned run on three hits over three innings, while Bonham pitched a hitless ninth inning, fanning one. Goodwin, Cass, Born, Mannuzza, Ariel Martin (No. Bergen, NJ) and Mike Knorr (Staten Island, NY) each had two hits for the Knights.

Marchese led St. Francis with a 3-for-5 day, scoring three runs. Noble finished 2-for-5 and Lucian Maldonado (New York, NY) went 2-for-4.

The Knights and Terriers will play a pair of seven-inning games on Sunday, beginning at Noon. FDU will honor its seniors prior to the contest.