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Staten Island, NY - Fairleigh Dickinson withstood three Wagner rallies in collecting a 13-12 victory in Northeast Conference (NEC) action at Richmond County Bank Ballpark. With the win, the Knights (4-21; 1-11 NEC) snapped a 12-game skid while the Seahawks (12-15; 5-3 NEC) saw their school-record eight-game winning streak come to an end.

The teams combined for 25 runs and 43 minutes in a game that took four hours and 41 minutes and featured a combined 504 pitches.

Wagner opened the scoring in the bottom of the second on Chase Gray's (GS, Toms River, NJ / Toms River South) RBI single through the right side, plating Shuan Flynn (Tabernacle, NJ / Seneca / Burlington CC).

Fairleigh Dickinson answered immediately with a run in the top of the third inning when Jordan Ritz drove in Riley Moonan with a run-scoring double.

The Seahawks then appeared to break the game open with five runs in the bottom of the fourth inning while sending nine batters to the plate. Senior Jayson Keel (Starkville, MS / Starkville / Holmes CC) walked with one out, before stealing second. Sophomore Tommy Mazurkiewicz (Neshanic Station, NJ / Somerville) followed with a RBI double, before later coming around to score on classmate Jason Gordon's (Baltimore, MD / Archbishop Curley) two-out single, which stretched the lead out to 3-1. After Gordon stole second, junior Ian Miller (Downingtown, PA / Bishop Shanahan) was intentionally walked and Chris Smith (So., Tampa, FL / Freedom / Ellsworth CC (IA)) made the Knight starting pitcher Joe Borelli pay, crushing a three-run home run to left field while making it a 6-1 game.

In writing the first chapter in today's theme of comebacks, FDU rallied for five runs on six hits in the top of the fifth inning while drawing even at 6-6.

Fairleigh Dickinson then went ahead at 8-6 in the top of the seventh inning with two runs, but the damage could have been worse had sophomore RHP Anthony Battaglia (Staten Island, NY / St. Joseph By The Sea) not struck out John Giakas with the bases loaded to end the frame.

Wagner got one of those runs back in the bottom of the eighth inning when Miller singled through the left side, allowing Gray to score while trimming the deficit to 8-7.

Down to their last out with senior Nick Alfano (Coral Springs, FL / North Broward Prep) on first, Keel hit a blooper that landed safely between the second baseman and the right fielder while pushing the tying run just 90 feet from. Mazurkiewicz then battled back from a two-strike count, lining a 2-2 offering up the middle to tie the game up at 8-8 while moving Keel to second. Gray then singled on through the right side on the first pitch he saw. Unfortunately, Dylan Sprague threw a perfect strike to home to get Keel at the plate while forcing extra innings.

The Knights would go back in front in the 11th inning with an unearned run. Ryan MacDonald reached on a fielding error, before Joel Roman singled to the pitcher. After a strikeout, Riley Moonan singled off the pitcher. However, on the play Battaglia threw the ball into the stands, allowing MacDonald to score to make it 9-8. After loading up the bases with an intentional walk, Battaglia evaded further damage by inducing a pop up and an inning-ending fielder's choice.

Once again, despite being down to their last out, the Seahawks fought back to tie the game. Alfano lined a one-out double to left center. Following a strikeout, FDU reliever Eric Snyder allowed Alfano to advance to third on a failed pick-off attempt. Keel then scored Alfano with an infield single to the shortstop, making it a 9-9 game.

Fairleigh Dickinson appeared to grab control of the game with three runs in the top of the 12th inning. However, the Green & White had other ideas. Freshman Ben Ruta (West Windsor, NJ / West-Windsor Plainsboro South) singled through the right side, before Miller followed with a hit to left field. Smith then crushed a two-run double to left center, plating both Ruta and Miller while drawing Wagner to within one at 12-11. Then down to their final out for the third time on the day, Alfano ripped a single up the middle to score Smith and tie it up yet again at 12-12.

After both teams were retired in order in the 13th inning, the Seahawks threatened in each of the next two frames only to be denied each time.

The Knights  finally broke through with the eventual winning run in the top of the 16th inning. After loading the bases with no outs, sophomore RHP Connor Smith (West Caldwell, NJ / James Caldwell) entered the game and coaxed MacDonald into a lazy fly to left. On the play, Keel gunned out John Giakas at the plate. Unfortunately, Roman picked up his team with a run-scoring single to center to make it 13-12.

Wagner again threatened in the bottom of the frame as Smith singled to center with one out, before pinch hitter sophomore Mitchell Dressing (Beachwood, NJ / Toms River South) was plunked with two outs. Unfortunately, the Seahawks could not tie it up for a fourth time as Flynn grounded into a game-ending fielder's choice to end the game.

Miller led seven multi-hit performers for a Green & White unit that recorded 20 hits on the day, going 4-for-8 with two stolen bases, two runs, a RBI and an intentional walk while extending his career-high hitting streak to 16 games. Smith, like Miller, went 4-for-8 with a home run, double and a career-high five RBI.

Roman paced FDU's 23-hit attack, going 5-for-8 with three runs and two RBI while Moonan was 4-for-7 with three RBI.

Alfano (0-1) suffered the loss, allowing four runs over 4.0 innings of work while Logan Frati (1-1) picked up the win, striking out four over 5.0 innings of three-run ball.

Wagner will look to rebound on Wednesday, April 10 at 3:30 pm against Seton Hall at the ballpark.

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