By Sam Belden
Two weekends ago, Fordham baseball headed down to Fort Myers for a stretch of three games. In the first, the Rams were shutout by Florida Gulf Coast; in the second, they lost by a single run to nationally-ranked Illinois. In the final contest of the weekend, they lost to Florida Gulf Coast again, this time by a margin of seven. In all, Fordham’s performance caused the team to drop to a record of one win and five losses through the road trip.
Last weekend, the Rams traveled to Los Angeles for a three-game slate against the nationally-ranked and undefeated USC Trojans. They were swept once again, bringing their record to 1-8 and extending their losing streak to seven games. The weekend was not totally devoid of bright spots for Fordham, however, as the team lost by just one run in both of the first two games.
“I thought we played well out at USC, just not well enough,” said head coach Kevin Leighton. “We did some things right, and we did some things wrong, and unfortunately, in one run games, the things that you do wrong can really hurt you.
Friday’s contest was marked by a pair of strong pitching performances. Fordham junior Brett Kennedy held the USC lineup scoreless through seven and struck out a man per inning, while USC’s Brent Wheatley blanked the Rams over the same stretch. Both teams were able to put a runner on third base within the first four innings, but their efforts were thwarted by the opposition’s dialed-in pitching.
In the bottom of the eighth, however, Kennedy surrendered a three-run homer to USC’s Reggie Southall and exited the game. In the top of the next inning, the Rams attempted to battle back. A pair of RBI singles from senior pinch hitter Jordan Gajdos and sophomore centerfielder Jason Lundy nearly got them, but after that, the Rams’ lineup quieted down. Fordham lost by a score of 3-2.
The next day, the Rams and Trojans squared off again. Fordham starter Jimmy Murphy gave up a run in the first before settling in and holding USC’s lead to one through four innings. However, a fifth inning rally brought three more runs to the Trojans and forced Murphy’s early exit.
Once again, the Rams attempted to play spoiler during the game’s later stages, and once again, they nearly succeeded. In the top of the seventh, junior catcher Charlie Galiano scored on a fielder’s choice. Lundy, the next batter, singled to left field, scoring junior third baseman Ian Edmiston.
An inning later, sophomore first baseman Matthew Kozuch connected for a single up the middle to knock in a third run, but once again, Fordham fell just short as USC reliever Kyle Davis blanked them for the rest of the game. The final score was 4-3.
Lundy, who batted .429 in addition to his two RBIs, was the team’s top performer over the first two games. “Whatever I could do to put the team in a good position to win was all I was really trying to do, whether it be moving the runner over or knocking in an RBI,” he said. “Being relaxed and confident put me in a good position for success at the plate [last] weekend.”
The third and final game was not as hotly contested. Fordham sophomore Kirk Haynes never got comfortable on the mound, surrendering six runs in fewer than four innings and four in the fourth inning alone. His replacement, freshman David Manasek, also struggled, giving up three runs while retiring just one batter. Finally, sophomore Greg Weissert got the Rams out of the fourth. Although the relief corps was strong from there, the damage was done; the Trojans already had a nine-run lead. Fordham’s only run came off of a single from sophomore rightfielder Mark Donadio in the top of the sixth, and they lost by a score of 10-1.
Although the end result was undesirable, fans can take comfort in knowing that Fordham was defeated by a quality team. The Trojans entered the series as the No. 29 team in the nation.
“They’re a very well-coached, disciplined team that’s definitely going to make a post-season run this year,” said Lundy. “They had some quality arms on the mound and were able to put together good at-bats at the plate all weekend.”
After stops in Georgia, Florida and California over the past three weekends, the Rams will return to the Bronx. Eight of their next nine games will be at home, and the only exception is a trip to nearby Stony Brook. The team now has less than a month before they square off against Richmond, its first A-10 opponent of the season.
“Being home will help,” said Leighton. “I don’t think we need to do too much different. Most of our games have been against some of the top teams in the country.”
“Despite our record, we’ve played well for the most part,” said Donadio. “We played tough teams, and we’ve battled with them but just couldn’t pull out a win. I think if we just stick together and work on the little things such as baserunning, fielding and two strike hitting, we will be fine. We have the talent and we’re looking forward to make a run to an A-10 championship.”
Fordham’s home opener against Wagner College has been postponed due to weather. The team will open the season at home against Stony Brook University in a doubleheader on Saturday, March 7, starting at 12 p.m.
