FLEMINGTON, N.J. - The Arcadia University baseball program began its four-game series with a doubleheader split at FDU-Florham Friday afternoon, as the Knights fell in game one, 5-2, but rallied to take the backend of the twinbill, 9-5.
Luke Fournier turned in his third-straight scoreless start to begin the season in the game two win - extending his scoreless innings streak to 17 in the process - allowing five hits and striking out six in five innings of work.
Trevor Mattson,
Justin Massielo, and
Connor Cheeseman all had multi-hit performances in the victory, led by Mattson's three-hit day including an RBI double and a solo home run, his third of the season. The Knights had nine stolen bases between the two games, extending their total to a MAC Freedom-leading 40 on the season.
ARCADIA 2, FDU-FLORHAM 5
HOW IT HAPPENED
-The top of the Arcadia lineup picked up where it left off a weekend ago, as
Ryan Smolen lined a leadoff double to right-center before
Justin Massielo plated him with a single to left.Â
-
Jeremy Sabathne was untouchable through his first four frames in his third start of the season, retiring ten of the first 12 batters he faced while striking out a pair and yielding two hits. The Knights backed their right-hander with another run in the top of the fifth as
Zachary Sekelick reached on an error and stole third with one away.
Nick Opalkowski followed with a base hit to right to plate Sekelick and doubling Arcadia's lead over the Devils.
-The Devils answered back with five runs on five hits to take their first lead of the afternoon of held control the rest of the way as the Knights were held scoreless in the final two frames to drop Friday's opener, 5-2.
KNIGHTS OFFENSIVE LEADERS
-Smolen: 1-3, 2B, R
-Opalkowski: 1-2, RBI
KNIGHTS PITCHING LEADERS
-Castaneda: 2 IP, 2 H, 0 R, 2 K
Â
ARCADIA 9, FDU-FLORHAMÂ 5
HOW IT HAPPENED
-The Knights struck first again in the opening inning as Smolen lined a leadoff single and later came around to score on an infield error with the game's first run before Mattson worked a seven-pitch at-bat and delivered a run-scoring single to left to take an early 2-0 lead. Arcadia added two more in the fifth all with two outs when
Alex Madera drew a walk and scored on a three-base error followed by Mattson lifted a fly ball that the wind brought back into the infield and dropped to plate another.
-Fournier was dominant yet again in his third start of the season, extending his scoreless innings streak to 17 to begin the season with five shutout frames allowing five hits while striking out six. The lefty allowed only two hits over his first three innings and stranded the bases loaded in his fifth and final inning, departing with a four-run lead.
-Arcadia took a commanding seven-run lead with three runs on three hits in the sixth, highlighted by
Joseph Kumar's pinch-hit RBI triple to right-center to plate Sekelick.
-The Devils threatened in the home half of the sixth with a pair of runs, but
Nadell Booker came on in relief to induce an inning-ending double play to preserve the five-run lead. Mattson capped the Knights' day at the plate with a solo shot to lead off the ninth - his third of the season - and while FDU threatened again in the last of the ninth with three runs to make it a four-run game,
Owen Margolis came out of the bullpen to get the game-ending groundout in the 9-5 win.
KNIGHTS OFFENSIVE LEADERS
-Mattson: 3-4, 2B, Solo HR (3), 2 R
-Massielo: 2-5, 2B, RBI, 2 R
-Cheeseman: 2-5, 2B, R
KNIGHTS PITCHING LEADERS
-Fournier: W (3-0), 5 IP, 5 H, 0 R, 6 K
-Booker: 2 IP, H, 0 R
UP NEXT
Arcadia concludes its four-game series with FDU-Florham Saturday at Skip Wilson Field. First pitch of game one is scheduled for noon.
