BRIDGEPORT, Conn. (April 15, 2023) – A slow start on Saturday hurt the Sacred Heart University baseball team, which trailed 5-0 after the top of the third inning at Veteran's Park. SHU would close the gap to 5-3, but then trailed 7-3 heading for the last of the ninth. The Pios made things interesting against Fairleigh Dickinson, as they would get the tying run to first base in their last time at-bat. They would get him no further though, as right-hander Brendan Medoro closed the door on a 7-4 victory for the Knights, who evened the weekend series.
The weekend's rubber game is set for 1 p.m. on Sunday at Veteran's Park.
Much as SHU had on Friday, FDU (21-11-1, 12-5 NEC) got out of the gates in a hurry, and plated five runs through three innings. The Knights used the long ball to their advantage, as they hit one home run in each of the first three frames. In the top of the first, Tom Ruscitti rifled a two-out solo homer into the trees beyond the right-field fence for his eighth of the season. In the second, Luke Cantwell drove a two-run shot into the power alley in right-center, his team-leading 11th of the year. It was a two-run homer in the third as well, this one to straightaway center by Brian Sanders, his fourth of the campaign.
Sacred Heart (15-16, 10-7 NEC) scratched out a pair of runs in the last of the third to close the gap. A single and a pair of walks loaded the bases with nobody out for Tim McGuire (Portsmouth, R.I.), who hit a double-play ball but wound up with an RBI fielder's choice, as the throw to first pulled the first baseman off the bag. Dante D'Amore (Southington, Conn.) followed with an RBI groundout to bring home the second run.
Another run in the fourth made it a 5-3 game. Michael Simonelli (Milford, Conn.) walked, moved to second on a wild pitch and scored on an RBI single back through the middle by Sam Mongelli (Marlboro, N.Y.).
FDU picked up a pair of insurance runs in the top of the sixth, which proved to be important. With one out, Hunter D'Amato yanked a ball inside the bag at third and down the left-field line for a double, but wound up at third on the play after Simonelli misplayed it in the corner. Justin Sierra followed with a fly ball to extremely shallow left field, which the shortstop Mongelli went out to play, but it wound up as a sacrifice fly, as the speedy D'Amato was able to tag up and find his way home. After a hit batsman, Brelon Harden followed and cracked an RBI double over the head of the center fielder to make it 7-3.
The Pioneers made their last stand in the home half of the ninth, and came up one big hit away from putting a serious rally together. A hit batter, a single and a walk loaded the bases with nobody out, and then a passed ball brought home Mongelli to make it 7-4. Medoro, who was in his fourth inning of relief work, was able to shut things down from there though. He locked up Robert Farruggio (Fairfield, Conn.) with a fastball on the inside corner for the first out, then walked Tim McGuire (Portsmouth, R.I.) to put the tying run on base. D'Amore was next, chased a 3-1 fastball upstairs and then swung through a breaking ball for the second out. Zack Kovalchik (Archbald, Pa.) was the last chance, but he went down looking at a pitch on the outer half to end the ballgame.
Right-hander Jack Kramer (Glen Rock, N.J.) threw the first three innings, allowed five runs on four hits, struck out three and suffered the loss (3-4) on the mound for SHU.
Right-hander Rich Racobaldo (5-1) threw 97 pitches (54 strikes) over the first five innings for FDU, allowed three runs on five hits, walked five and struck out five on the way to the win. Medoro was the story for the Knights though, as he fired 74 pitches (45 strikes) over an impressive four-inning relief stint to post his second save of the season. Medoro allowed just one unearned run on one hit, walked three, hit two batters and struck out seven.
