The Light was on during Monmouth’s Northeast Conference opener against Garden State rival Fairleigh Dickinson. The Hawks’ 6-foot-6 starting pitcher went the distance in a 3-1 victory and fanned 13 FDU batters along the way. Light’s 13 strikeouts were the most in a NEC contest since Bryant’s Eric Polvani struck out 13 CCSU Blue Devils on Apr. 11, 2010. The third-year Hawk allowed one run, six hits, and two walks over 9.0 innings and appeared to only get stronger as the game wore on. FDU plated the game’s first run on a two-out double in the opening inning, but would not move a runner past second base the rest of the way. Light, who has only surrendered one home run in five starts this season, retired eight of the last nine batters he faced in the NEC opener. After Eric Anderson attempted to spark a ninth-inning rally by poking a leadoff single through the right side, Light responded by striking out the side to seal the win.