By DOMINIC KEARNS
STAFF WRITER
As Fordham neared the halfway point of its A-10 campaign, the Rams hosted George Washington in a pivotal series. While the Rams avoided another conference sweep, they continued to drop tough games.
On April 16, Fordham hosted the Iona Gaels, a team they had already beaten once this year. However, the Gaels exploded for three first inning runs off junior J.C. Porter. After a sacrifice fly plated Iona’s first run, Christian Choman split the gap in right center for a two out two-run triple. After Porter settled down, the Rams responded with two third inning runs. After the first two Fordham hitters were retired, the Rams strung together three consecutive hits to make the score 3-2. Iona added single runs in the fourth and fifth innings to restore its three run edge, but Fordham scored in the sixth to make the score 5-3. With three innings remaining, Fordham needed one big rally to complete its comeback.
The Gaels continued their steady offensive output, scoring two more runs in the final two innings. Fordham made a push in the ninth and made it 7-4 on fresman Joseph Runco’s single, but freshman Charles Galiano’s bases loaded groundout ended the game. Iona won just its fifth game of the season and Fordham prepared for the next day’s trip to Siena.
In upstate New York, the Rams fought tooth and nail with the Siena Saints in an extra inning affair. Freshman Cody Johnson stymied the Siena offense through five innings, and the game remained scoreless until Fordham broke the deadlock in the sixth. With two outs and nobody on, Runco singled and stole second base. This set the stage for senior Mike Mauri, who promptly doubled in the game’s first run. Siena then scored two of its own runs in the bottom half, as the rally was spurred on by an error. With runners on second and third and no outs, the Saints scored once on a wild pitch and went ahead on a sacrifice fly.
In the eighth inning, Fordham showed some resolve and tied the game at two. With one out, Mauri earned his second RBI with a clutch single into center field. Mauri then attempted to steal second base, but the rally fizzled after he was thrown out. Meanwhile, Siena could not get much going against senior reliever Rich Anastasi, who retired eight consecutive Saints hitters. In the tenth inning, Fordham left two runners on base, and Siena made them pay. After Anastasi allowed a two out double, junior Tim Swatek came in for relief. After he issued a walk, Mike Fish drilled a first pitch fastball out for a 5-2 Siena walkoff win.
“We need to execute,” Coach Kevin Leighton said. “We have obviously had a hard time scoring runs so it’s going to come down to bunting, moving runners, executing a hit and run and knocking in runs when we have opportunities.”
Fordham returned home for its three game series with the George Washington Colonials, but the Rams were manhandled by GW starter Aaron Weisberg on Friday, April 19. Weisberg allowed just five hits in his complete game shutout, and the Colonials cruised to a 9-0 victory. Fordham’s only legitimate scoring chance came in the first inning, when the bases were loaded with one out. Nonetheless, an odd play prevented Fordham from scoring. Freshman Ian Edmiston hit a sharp groundball towards the left side as Mauri was racing for third, and the grounder hit Mauri’s leg. The play resulted in a dead ball out, and the runners could not advance. After junior Sam Careccia struck out, the threat subsided and Weisberg entered a groove.
The Colonials used small ball to score in the first inning, but they doubled their edge in the third with a Xavier Parkmond blast to left. Despite the GW home run, Fordham senior Joseph Charest kept the Rams within striking distance until the sixth, when Owen Beightol accounted for two Colonial runs. With one out, he delivered an RBI triple into right field, then executed a gutsy play and stole home. Even though the scoreboard only said GW led by four runs, Beightol’s steal signaled an impending Fordham defeat. After the Colonials added a run in the seventh inning and four in the ninth, the Rams fell on the wrong end of a 9-0 decision.
On a gorgeous Saturday afternoon, Fordham honored its finest baseball alumni, including Vin Scully, Walter O’Malley and Frankie Frisch, with plaques before the annual Alumni Day game. The ceremony appeared to inspire the Rams, who played their most complete game in over a month. Fordham sent junior Chris Pike onto the mound, and his pitching delighted the home crowd. The offense took advantage, and scored its first run in the second inning when freshman Joseph DeVito was hit by a pitch. In the third inning, the Rams exploded for four runs and knocked GW’s starter out of the contest. The dramatic inning was fueled by six Fordham hits, a single-inning season high. By the time Fordham’s order finished batting around, the Colonials had fallen into a 5-0 hole.
Those five runs were more than enough offense for Pike, who recorded eight strikeouts and allowed only one run in his eight stellar innings. He only surrendered multiple hits in the seventh inning, when GW scored its single run. The win improved Fordham to 2-9 in A-10 play.
“I mean, it’s been rough in early conference play, but I hope we can come back and go on a tear,” senior Mike Mauri said.
The series finale compressed all its scoring into three innings, and the Colonials made their rallies count in a 5-2 win over Fordham. After a scoreless first inning, GW jumped ahead for three runs in the second. After the Colonials scored once, Mike Mauri made a crucial two out error in right field and allowed two more GW runs to score. While Mauri usually plays first base, Coach Leighton wanted to give junior Brendan Maghini a spot start at first. Fordham answered with one run in the third, but missed a chance to plate another run. After Mauri’s RBI single, the Rams had runners on the corners with one out. However, a shallow fly ball and a pop-up kept potential runs off the board.
The Colonials added two more runs in the fourth frame on the strength of four hits, and effectively ended freshman starter Jimmy Murphy’s afternoon. During the inning, four straight hitters reached base, and Murphy needed an inning-ending double play to escape further damage. In the bottom half, Fordham mustered another run on freshman Ryan Phelan’s RBI single, but the offense could draw no closer than 5-2. Outstanding pitching from freshman Brett Kennedy and Colonials starter Kenny O’Brien silenced both offences, and the game ended as a 5-2 Fordham defeat.
“We still have a long way to go and the goal doesn’t change because we’ve had a tough start,” Leighton said.
The Rams are 13-27 overall, with a 2-10 Atlantic-10 clip. Fordham hosts Columbia in a doubleheader on April 24, with games scheduled for 4 and 6:30 pm and will travel to Butler for a weekend series.
