9 – BASE: Wagner at
Fairleigh Dickinson (FDU 4-3, 12 innings) – 4/7/12
In today’s baseball, seeing pitchers go the distance and finishing what they start is becoming increasingly rare. One of the most difficult things a pitcher can do is to hold hitters at bay consistently enough to warrant keeping the bullpen quiet, while at the same time maintaining their own stamina, for a full nine frames. Even more obscure would be one single pitcher throwing 12 innings in a single baseball game, allowing only three runs, scattering 12 hits, walking one, striking out seven, and throwing 139 pitches overall in the process. Back on April 7th, the final game of a four game weekend series between Fairleigh Dickinson and Wagner, Knights senior Mike Eliasen went out and accomplished just that. In addition to one of the best pitching performances of the season, this near three hour marathon featured plenty of opportunities for both sides, spectacular game saving defensive plays, and a walk-off finish, making this the #9 game on the NEC Top 12 Games of 2012 list…
The ballgame stayed scoreless until
the bottom of the fourth. Ryan Kresky walked to lead off the inning, and then
stole second base to get himself into scoring position. Designated hitter,
junior, Eric Anderson singled to left advancing Kresky to third, who then proceeded
to score on a fielding error by the left fielder to give the Knights a 1-0
lead. The Seahawks then struck back in the top of the fifth, the only inning in
which they were able to do damage off Eliasen. Tommy Higgins doubled to the
lead off the inning. Nick Alfano attempted to sacrifice himself with a bunt to
get Higgins over to third, but was called safe at first on the throw by catcher
JT Sherba, putting runners on the corners with nobody out. Higgins then scored on a RBI ground out by Ian
Miller to tie the game at one run apiece. Grad senior Bill Murphy then stepped
to the plate and blasted his first career home run over the right field wall to
put Wagner in the driver’s seat 3-1.
FDU had an answer in the bottom of
the fifth, plating two runs of their own. Sherba led off the inning getting hit
by a pitch. After a Shane Siebler lineout, Jordan Ritz jumped on the first
pitch he saw, doubling to the right center field gap. Sherba would come around
and score on a Ryan McDonald single, advancing Ritz to third. Ritz would then plate
the tying run on a sac fly by Kresky to knot the contest at three. The game
would then continue for the next six and a half innings scoreless, but it wasn’t
without each team receiving their fair share of opportunities.
In the sixth inning, FDU had
runners on at second and third with two outs. Sherba was caught off second
base, and while Wagner tried to pick him off, Weeks took off from third for
home. However, Weeks would get caught in a rundown between third and home. One
inning later the Knights would have runners on the corners with two outs, but
Anderson grounded out to end the threat.
With the game still deadlocked in
the top of the ninth, Wagner’s Jayson Keel singled to lead things off, and was
advanced to second on a sac bunt. Keel would get caught straying too far off
second after the next batter lined out to center, and was doubled off to end the
inning. In the bottom of the ninth, Anthony Battaglia came out of the bullpen for
the Seahawks to relieve Dan Watson, who pitched 8 innings, giving up 9 hits and
3 runs. Battaglia promptly gave up a one out double to Siebler down the right
field line. Ritz then followed up with a fly ball out to deep right field,
which apparently had sacrificed Siebler over to third. However, much to the Knights dismay, after a Wagner appeal, he was called
out for leaving the bag early, sending the game into bonus
baseball.
After the Knights stranded a
runner at third in the 10th, the next best scoring opportunity came
for Wagner in the top of the 12th. With one out, Alfano doubled to
right center. Miller then followed with a single, which landed in front of
Siebler in right. Alfano rounded third, attempting to come in and score the go-ahead run,
however Siebler laced a laser throw from right field which gunned down Alfano
at the plate to keep the game tied. FDU escaped the top of the 12th
with no damage done, setting up the finish for the bottom half. Battaglia got
the first two batters he saw to harmlessly ground out, before Kresky extended
the frame with a single. Eliasen came in to bat for the first time at the DH
spot, and drew a walk. With two outs and now two on, Kyle Weeks played the role of hero. Weeks singled to center,
scoring Kresky from second, making the Knights walk-off winners, 4-3.
Fairleigh Dickinson took three of
four games from the Seahawks in the series. Eliasen earned his fifth win of the
season, and third shutout, in going the full 12 innings. The senior hurler
threw 139 pitches on the day, and didn’t hit his 100th pitch until
the last pitch of the 10th inning. Kresky went 3-4 with a RBI and
Weeks went 2-5 with a RBI to lead FDU on the afternoon. Nick Alfano went 3-4 at
the plate and Bill Murphy went 1-6 with a home run and two RBI for Wagner. In
the end, Wagner left 8 men on base, FDU 11. Following the 2:49 marathon,
Knights head coach Garry Puccio told the FDU athletics website, “All I
can say is wow! Mike Eliasen is just a warrior and is incredible. We had
to step up when we had to. Shane (Siebler) saved the day with his throw from
right field, which allowed (Kyle) Weeks to come through with the game-winning
hit. This was a very impressive come-from-behind win. It was only
possible because of the man on the mound today.” Eliasen would go on to throw a 137 pitch complete game victory in the NEC Tournament against CCSU as the Knights returned to the postseason for the first time since 1999.Knights Baseball Roundup
FDU Game Recap
Previous Top 12 NEC Games
of 2012:
#10 - WSOC: LIU-Brooklyn vs. St. Francis, 2012 NEC Women’s
Soccer Final (LIU 1-0) – 11/4/12
#11 – WVB: Robert Morris at Sacred Heart (SHU 3-2) –
10/13/12
#12 (tie) – WBB: Central Connecticut State at St. Francis
(SFU 86-83 2OT) – 2/20/12
#12 (tie) – WBB: LIU-Brooklyn at Monmouth (MU 55-54) –
2/25/12
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