April 21, 2004

Final Stats

BRIDGEPORT, CT - Junior Curtis Lewsey had three hits in the nightcap, including his first home run of the season, to help Sacred Heart University to a 4-2 win and a split of its baseball doubleheader with Fairleigh Dickinson University Wednesday. FDU won the opener 3-2, scoring three unearned runs on three Pioneer errors.

The Knights took a 1-0 lead in the third inning of the opener when Joe Munda doubled with one out. Chris Grabowski reached on an error by the third baseman, but Munda was unable to advance. Mike Knorr grounded out for the second out and both runners advanced. Munda scored on a wild pitch by SHU starting pitcher Chuck Ristano. Grabowski tried to score from second on the errant pitch but was cut down at the plate.

FDU took a three-run lead in the fourth thanks to poor defense by the Pioneers. Rob Talamini reached on a two-base error by the second baseman and scored on an RBI single by Gary Mannuzza, who took second on the throw home. He went to third on a ground ball out and scored on a passed ball to give the Knights the 3-0 edge.

The Pioneers finally got on the board in the bottom of the fifth inning. Tim Lantz had a bloop double to right with one out and Pleeter walked the next two batters to load the bases. It looked like he might get out of the jam when he struck out Greg Delmonico and had Jamie Schilkowski (Shelton, CT) 0-2. However, Schilkowski lined the two-strike pitch to right field to score two runs. Pleeter got Curtis Lewsey to pop out to second base to end the inning and preserve a 3-2 lead.

Pleeter, who walked five in the game, walked Jay Monti with one out in the sixth inning. After striking out the next batter, he went to 2-0 on Lantz and was lifted in favor of Jesse Anziano (Meriden, CT). He threw three straight strikes, the last a sharp-break curve on the outside corner, to retire the side.

The Pioneers got a one-out walk to Jason Maiella in the seventh and he went to second on a ground out. The Knights intentionally walked Schilkowski to get to Lewsey. Lewsey hit a sharp grounder to short that hit Maiella for the final out of the ball game.

The Pioneers staked starting pitcher Adam Dinihanian to a 3-0 lead in the third inning of the second game. Dave Kaloyanides started the rally with a leadoff single off FDU starter Stephen Eng. He went to second when Maiella was hit with a pitch and Delmonico loaded the bases with an infield single to third. Schilkowski drove home the first run with a sacrifice fly to left and Lewsey drove home the second with a double to left. Jay Monti plated Delmonico with the third run with a single.

FDU, 10-17 overall and 9-4 in the NEC, got a pair back in the bottom of the fourth on an two-run single to left by Travis Alderman.

Lewsey gave the Pioneers a cushion when he launched a leadoff solo homer over the left field fence in the top of the seventh - his first of the year. The Pioneers would score three more in the inning to take a comfortable 7-2 lead into the bottom of the inning.

Dinihanian, now 3-1 on the season, went the distance on the hill for Sacred Heart, allowing six hits and striking out three without issuing a walk.