BRIDGEPORT, Conn. – The Sacred Heart baseball team overcame deficits in both games of a doubleheader against Fairleigh Dickinson on Thursday, sweeping the Knights 8-6 and 5-4 in the Northeast Conference opener for both teams. SHU is now unbeaten in their last five games, moving to 5-14-1. The pair of loses drop FDU to 6-11.

Six Pioneers had multi-hit days, led by Jayson Sullivan, Victor Sorrento, and Zack Short with three each. Short led the Pioneers with three RBI's, including a home run, while Alex Perry knocked in the game winning ren with a two RBI single in the eighth inning of game one. P.J. DeFilippo homered in game two. James Cooksey, who came out of the bullpen in game one, and Robbie Maguire earned the wins for Sacred Heart, while Dan Wertz picked up a save in game two.

Moonan led the Knights at the plate, going 4-7 with two RBI's between the two games, while Siebler, Sprqgue, and Brennan all added two RBI's.

Game One

Perry's two out, two RBI single in the bottom of the eighth answered a Fairleigh Dickinson run in the top half that had tied the game at six, and was the fourth lead change of the afternoon. It was also the sixth and seventh two out run for Sacred Heart. It was the third straight two out single for Sacred Heart, as Perry followed singes by Cody Doyle and Kenny Byram. Those two advanced to second and third on a throwing error by the third baseman on Byrman's infield single. This caused FDU to call upon Snyder out of the bullpen. The first batter he faced, Perry, smoked his single up the middle for the 8-6 lead.

Cooksey, who relieved starter Jason Foley in the sixth inning, preserved the two run lead with a 1-2-3 ninth. Cooksey battled through four innings of work, allowing three earned runs on five hits while striking out four. Foley went five innings, also giving up three runs on five hits. Short finished the game 2-4 with the three RBI's. Sorrento went 3-4, while Sullivan finished 2-3, with both adding a RBI. 

SHU took the lead in its first at bat with Short doubling home Sorrento and Sullivan, who had each reached on two out singles. FDU looked to come right back in the second with back to back singles giving the Knights runners on first and third with one out, but Foley induced an inning ending double play. 

That was the only threat Foley faed until the top of the fifth. A walk and single to leadoff the frame allowed a sacrifice bunt to move the two over to second and third. Siebler tied the game in the next at bat, doubling home both runners to even the score at two. A wild patched moved Siebler up to third and after a base on balls, Sprague brought him home with his sacrifice fly in foul left field foul territory, giving Fairleigh Dickinson its first run of the lead.

The Knights added insurance in the sixth, getting to Cooksey right away. After a hit by pitch and wild pitch put a runner on second with no outs, Giakas pushed the Knight lead to 4-2 with his single up the middle. A sacrifice put Giakas into scoring position, and Moonan capitalized with a single to extend the advantage to three.

Short's home run came in the bottom half of the inning, cutting the deficit to 5-3. That set up an opportunity for Sacred Heart to take back the lead in the seventh. It began with Cuono relieved starting pitcher, Borelli, who allowed three earned in six innings of work. Cuono lasted only one hitter, walking the first man he faced. Perline then replaced him.

Again it was three successive two out singles that allowed the Pioneers to score three two out runs. Jesus Medina had the first, advancing Byram, who had reached on a fielder's choice, to second. Next Sullivan stepped in, singling to left field to plate Byram and bring up Sorrento. Sorrento tied the score at five with his single to right field.  The comeback was complete when Sullivan came in on a wild pitch, putting SHU ahead 6-5.

Once again FDU responded, also with two outs. McClure led off the eight with a single and was sacrificed to second by Giakas. Cooksey got the second out, but it was Moonan who delivered once more, singling up the middle to even the score, 6-6. 

Perline took the loss, giving up four runs, three of which were earned, on five hits in just 1.2 innings. Snyder came on to get the final out of the eighth.

Both teams tallied double-digit hits, with Sacred Heart holding the slight 12-10 advantage. 

Game 2 

The eventual game winning RBI came on Ted Shaw's sacrifice fly in the bottom half of the fifth. The sacrifice came on a 3-0 pitch and scored Short, who had reached third with a triple to the left center warning track. At the time, it was an all-important insurance, giving the Pioneers a 5-2 with two innings to go.

That turned out to be a difference, as the Knights, who had been limited to just two runs by Maguire through the first six innings, finally got to him in their last at bat. After both teams went 1-2-3 in the sixth, Siebler and McCann led of the seventh with consecutive singles. Maguire managed to get the next batter to flyout, but Breannan got Fairleigh Dickinson within one with his double to the right center gap. That was the end of the day for Maguire, who gave way to Wertz with a runner on second and one out. In his first save situation of the year, Wertz induced back-to-back groundouts, ending the game and cinching the sweep. 

FDU outhit Sacred Heart 9-6 in the second game. All nine of those hits were given up by Maguire, who went 6.1 innings giving up four earned. Knight starter, Flack, was chased in the fifth inning, ending with a final line of 4.1 innings and three earned runs on six hits. Calise came on for the final 1.1 innings and went unblemished. DeFilippo was the only SHU hitter with multiple hits, as he went 2-3.

This time it was Fairleigh Dickinson who jumped out to the lead. A one out single and hit by pitch gave Grupp an opportunity with a runner in scoring position, and he delivered a single through the left side to open the scoring. SHU tied the game in the bottom half with Doyle's sacrifice fly. Shaw came in after doubling to left center and moving to third on DeFilippo's bunt single.

The game turned on a two out error by Fairleigh Dickinson in the bottom of the third, which allowed two Sacred Heart runners to score. A Medina walk and Sullvian single with one out set up the situation. Following a strikeout, Short stepped to the plate with the chance to give the Pioneers a lead. Flack got him to pop up and looked to have ended the inning, but the ball was misplayed by the Knights, and two unearned runs crossed as a result giving SHU the 3-1 lead.

DeFilippo's home run over the left field fence led off the fourth and extended the Pioneer lead to 4-1. FDU answered with a run of its own in the fifth. Sprague singled in McCann, who had led off the frame with a double. 

Sacred Heart looks to extend its unbeaten streak to six tomorrow, when the two teams meet again for a single seven-inning game at Harbor Yard. First pitch is scheduled for 1 pm.