The Fairleigh Dickinson University baseball team suffered its second consecutive loss in the Buckeyes Classic as the squad fell to the host school, Ohio State, 15-8, this afternoon in Port Charlotte, FL.  The Buckeyes improve to 8-2 on the season, while the Knights fall to 1-5 overall.

The Buckeyes got off to a fast start as they scored five runs in the bottom of the first to take an early 5-0 lead. 

In the top of the third, the Knights plated two runs to cut the lead to 5-2.  Stephen LaForge doubled in Mike Eliasen (Swedesboro, NJ/Gloucester Catholic) for the first run, and Joe Martno singled in LaForge for the second run.

Ohio State scored once more in the bottom half of the inning to take a 6-2 lead.

After both teams failed to score in the fourth, the Knights exploded for five runs in the top of the fifth to take a 7-6 lead.  Matt Holsman (Coral Springs, FL/Stoneman Douglas) doubled to start the rally.  LaForge was then hit by a pitch.  Brian Dillon (Sarasota, FL/Cardinal Mooney) then doubled to right center field to score Holsman.  Martino then came through with his second big hit of the day as he singled to center to score LaForge and Dillon.  With two outs in the inning, Ryan Kresky (Freehold, NJ/Freehold) roped a triple to score Sean Feeny and Scott Morrison (Coral Springs, FL/J.P. Taravella).  Kresky tried to stretch the hit into an inside-the-park home run but was thrown out at the plate for the final out of the inning.

The Knights' lead was short-lived as the Buckeyes scored twice in the bottom of the fifth to go back ahead, 8-7.

With the score still 8-7 in the bottom of the seventh, the Buckeyes put the game away with a six-spot and took a 14-7 lead.

The Knights scored once more in the top of the eighth on Elasen's RBI double, which scored Morrison.  The Buckeyes also scored once in the bottom of the eighth and shut out the Knights in the ninth to take the victory, 15-8.

Eliasen and Morrison each went 3-for-4 to lead the Knights.  Holsman and Martino both collected two hits.  LaForge and Morrison each scored two runs.  Martino drove in three runs, and Kresky added two runs batted in.

Zach Kisling (Marlboro, NJ/Marlboro Central) took the loss on the hill for the Knights.  He came into the game in the fourth inning as he relieved starter Ashley Bulluck (Hollywood, FL/South Broward).  Bulluck allowed six earned runs on eight hits in 3.2 innings pitched.  He walked five and failed to strike out a batter.  Kisling gave up five earned runs on six hits in 2.1 innings pitched.  He walked two and struck out one.

Terry Lydecker (Pompton Lakes, NJ/Pompton Lakes) and Chris Theordor (Staten Island, NY/Staten Island Tech) also saw action on the mound.  Lydecker gave up three runs, one earned, on two hits as he failed to retire a batter.  Theordor gave up one earned run on two hits in 2.0 innings.  He did not walk a batter and stuck out one.

Brian Bobinski earned the win for the Buckeyes, despite giving up five earned runs on eight eights in 4.0 innings.  Zach Hurley went a perfect 5-for-5 with two runs batted in and three runs scored.  Ryan Dew went 4-for-6 with four runs batted in and three runs scored. 

The Knights return to action next Saturday as they will play a double-header at Norfolk State University in Norfolk, VA.  First pitch for game one is scheduled for 12:00 p.m.  The two teams will also play a double-header on Sunday starting at 12:00 p.m.