By DOMINIC KEARNS
STAFF WRITER
As the temperatures hit 80 degrees on Tuesday, April 9, the Rams offense heated up for season highs in hits and home runs in a dramatic victory over Rutgers. However, the team cooled with the weather over the weekend and dropped another conference series to Rhode Island.
The Rams faced Rutgers on a gorgeous April day, and both teams displayed fiery offenses. Fordham jumped out to a 6-0 lead, scoring three runs each in the first and second innings. Fordham got its first three runners on base in the first, with senior Mike Mauri’s RBI single starting the scoring. The Rams added two more runs on a throwing error and an RBI groundout. In the second, Fordham benefitted from Slater McCue’s wild pitching. The Rutgers starter allowed a walk and hit two batters before getting pulled. He recorded just four outs and allowed six runs.
The Scarlet Knights rallied with three run innings in the third, fifth and sixth, as Fordham starter J.C. Porter did not last five innings. The third inning started with a Fordham error, and Rutgers then added three hits to plate their runs. In the fifth, the Knights tied the score at six without recording one hit. Porter surrendered four walks and a balk before exiting with one out, and Joseph DeVito’s error allowed Rutgers to tie the game. The Fordham bats woke up with four runs in the bottom half. Mike Mauri’s single gave him two more RBI, and Chris Galiano plated another with his single. But, junior Jonathon Reich allowed three more Rutgers scores in the sixth after a leadoff error. Vinny Zarrillo tripled into right field to make the score 10-9, and Reich needed a key line-out double play to preserve the lead.
Rutgers completed the rally with four seventh-inning runs. Matt Tietz blasted a three-run double into left field, and the Knights scored their 13th run on a wild pitch. The Rams scored one run in the seventh, but Rutgers countered with an eighth inning tally. In the bottom of the eighth, Rutgers brought in Howie Brey in after Fordham got its first two hitters on base. The inning continued, however, with hits from Tim Swatek and Runco. Swatek scored the tying run on a wild pitch, and the stage was set for Ryan McNally with two outs and runners on the corners. Remarkably, the go-ahead run scored on a balk. Rich Anastasi closed out the ninth, and the Rams savored a 15-14 win.
“It was good to see us battle back after losing the lead,” head coach Kevin Leighton said. “It does show that we are capable of producing.”
The following day, Fordham traveled to West Point in hopes of starting a winning streak, but the Army Black Knights exploded for eight runs in the third and fourth innings of an 8-2 win. The Rams took a 1-0 first-inning lead when Tim Swatek and Runco led off with consecutive leadoff hits. Freshman starter Cody Johnson started nicely, but ran into trouble during the third inning. With the bases loaded and one out, Patrick Mescher delivered an RBI single, and the Knights edged ahead with a Fordham error and another RBI single.
Army sealed its victory with four more fourth-inning runs off Johnson. Harold Earls plated three runs with his bases-clearing triple, and Mescher added another RBI single to complete the scoring. Freshman Ryan Fedak provided four scoreless innings of relief, but the Rams were only able to score once more in a blowout loss.
Fordham welcomed the Rhode Island Rams on Friday, April 12, and the teams engaged in a fierce battle. Rhode Island pounced on senior Joseph Charest in the first inning, getting its first four hitters on base. The inning could have been much worse for Fordham, but Charest induced a flyout and double-play grounder to limit the damage. Rhode Island scored once in the fourth inning on Joe Landi’s two out single, but Fordham responded with Ryan McNally’s RBI groundout. The Fordham Rams scored two additional runs in the fifth inning to gain a 3-2 edge. The Rams had four consecutive hitters reach base, and Anthony Galiano gave Fordham the lead with his RBI groundout.
The lead was short-lived, though, as Rhode Island knotted the game at three. Shane O’Connell drove a game-tying RBI single to right field, but the Rams stranded two more runners in scoring position. The score remained 3-3 until the ninth inning, when Rhode Island broke the deadlock. Leighton left Charest in to start the ninth, but Charest left after leaving runners on the corners with one out. Tim Swatek entered in a sticky situation, and a passed ball allowed Rhode Island to make it 4-3. Fordham gamely fought back in the bottom half, as Swatek singled and stole second. With one out, Runco beat out a chopper to first, but Swatek made a costly base-running gaffe. Instead of holding at third with just one out, he tried to score from second, but pitcher Mike Bradstreet relayed the ball home in time to retire Swatek at the plate. Fordham could only muster a groundout after that, and Rhode Island escaped with its 4-3 win.
“Joe was able to settle down after a shaky start and give us the quality start that we needed,” Leighton said. “He deserved to be in the game in the ninth to try to finish what he started, in my opinion. Unfortunately, he got a little squeezed on the leadoff hitter and then the swinging bunt to make it first and third with one out. Those are the breaks.”
Saturday’s contest was another tight battle, with Rhode Island again notching a close win. After Rhode Island stranded two runners in scoring position, Fordham used a two-out rally to jump to a 2-0 lead. Senior Dan Sorine provided the first RBI with a massive double to right field, and Ian Edmiston doubled the advantage with his run-scoring single. Rhode Island pulled one back in the third frame with Tim Caputo’s RBI single, but the Rams stranded the tying runner on third. Rhode Island went to work again in the fifth. With two on and two outs, Mike LeBel drilled a three-run homer into left center field. The blast gave Rhode Island a 4-2 lead and changed the game’s complexion.
Both pitchers settled down after that, and runs were difficult to come by. Fordham finally broke the offensive drought when freshman Sam Carreccia drilled a two-out double down the left field line. The hit reduced the Rhode Island lead to 4-3, but Joseph DeVito struck out to end the threat. After freshman Rich Anastasi completed a scoreless ninth, Rhode Island closer Bobby Dean retired Fordham’s hitters in order.
Fordham turned to freshman Jimmy Murphy on Sunday, but his efforts were not validated in another defeat. Rhode Island allowed a run in the third inning, when Steve Moyers issued four walks, including three consecutive free passes with two outs. Moyers exited the game after walking Mike Mauri, but Fordham left the bases loaded when Chris Galiano struck out. Meanwhile, Murphy retired the first 14 Rhode Island batters in five scoreless innings. In the sixth, Rhode Island finally broke its scoreless streak. Pat Quinn tied the game with his two-out single, and Mike LeBel followed with a two-run homer.
In a matter of moments, Fordham suddenly trailed, and its offense could not fight back. Rhode Island added another two-out tally in the ninth when Edmiston could not control a pickoff toss by Tim Swatek. Fordham did create some drama in its last at-bat, but could not overcome the deficit. With two outs, Ryan McNally made it 4-2 with his RBI single, and the Rams loaded the bases with consecutive walks. Joseph Runco stepped to the plate, but his strikeout ended the game and preserved a 4-2 Rhode Island victory.
“It’s just a matter of executing and getting a couple of big hits in these close games,” Leighton said. “We just need a few breaks to go our way. The goal is the same, to make the playoffs …and the goal doesn’t change because we’ve had a tough start.”
Fordham now stands at 12-23 with a 1-8 conference mark. The Rams host the George Washington Colonials this weekend in another three-game A-10 series.
