Baseball Begins Six-Game Homestand With Mid-Week Games Against Iona & Siena

After picking up their second conference series win of the season this past weekend, the Fordham baseball team is back at home this week to open up a stretch of six straight home games, beginning with a Tuesday night showdown with Iona at Houlihan Park.
 
Fordham (16-16, 4-2) has gotten on a roll as of late, winning 10 of its last 15 games, which included taking two of three contests from La Salle this past weekend.  Iona enters Tuesday's game with a 7-21 overall mark and a 2-4 MAAC record.  Siena has a 9-20 record with a 5-4 conference mark.
 
PROBABLE STARTERS/GAME COVERAGE:
Tuesday – Fordham - RHP Jimmy Murphy (1-2, 5.52) vs. Iona - RHP Antonio Velardi (0-2, 9.47) // Twitter Feed - @FordhamBaseball | Live Stats | Live Audio | Live Video
 
Wednesday – Fordham - RHP Joseph Serrapica (1-4, 4.10) vs. Siena - RHP John Nolan (0-1, 7.07) // Twitter Feed - @FordhamBaseball | Live Stats | Live Audio | Live Video
 
SERIES HISTORY:  The Rams have long histories with both of their mid-week opponents this week.  The Fordham-Iona series dates back to 1948 and Tuesday's game will be the 82^nd all-time meeting.  Fordham is 52-28-1 against the Gaels, following a 11-3 win last season at Houlihan Park.  Prior to that win, Iona had won three of the last four games.
 
Against Siena, Wednesday's game in the 17^th all-time meeting in a series that dates back to 1978.  The Saints hold a 9-7 edge in the series, and have won the last four meetings, including a 7-3 decision in Loudonville last year.  Fordham's last win over Siena came in April 1984.
 
LAST TIME OUT: Fordham's Luke Stampfl and Ryan McNally combined for 10 hits, four doubles, three home runs, and 10 RBI on Sunday, as the Rams swept a doubleheader from the La Salle Explorers, 9-0 and 6-2, at Hank DeVincent Field in Philadelphia, Pa.
  
With the first game scoreless through three innings, Fordham got the first run across in the fourth.  Stampfl got the rally started with a two-out double down the left field line.  After a walk to Mark Donadio, Jason Lundy singled through the left side to score Stampfl for a 1-0 lead.
 
The Rams added to their lead with four runs in the fifth for a 5-0 advantage.  Joseph Runco began things with a one-out single to center and stole second.  Matthew Kozuch then lined a triple over the centerfielder's head to score Runco from second.  Ryan McNally followed with an RBI-double off the left field wall, scoring Kozuch from third.  After a strikeout, Stampfl capped the inning with a two-run home run to left, his second of the season.
 
Fordham starter Greg Weissert, who had eight strikeouts and allowed three hits through 4 2/3 innings, was ejected in the fifth inning after hitting La Salle's Brian Tagoe with a pitch.  Anthony DiMeglio came on to get the final out of the fifth keeping Fordham ahead, 5-0.
 
The Rams tacked on three more runs in the sixth, extending the lead to 8-0, and then finished the scoring in the ninth inning, when Stampfl hit his second home run of the game, a solo shot to left, for the 9-0 final.
 
DiMeglio improved to 3-1 on the year, pitching 3.1 innings of one-hit relief with two strikeouts.  Reiss Knehr pitched a scoreless ninth to finish out the Fordham win.  At the plate, Stampfl was 3-for-5 with three runs scored, two home runs, and three RBI, while Runco was 3-for-5 with a double and a stolen base.

 
In game two, Fordham once again struck first, netting two runs in the first inning.  The Rams loaded the bases with one out on walks to Justin Bardwell and Kozuch and a double by McNally.  Stampfl then delivered a two-run single to center, scoring Bardwell and McNally.
 
The Rams added to the lead in the second inning, as Joseph DeVito drew a walk, while Runco singled to right.  McNally then drilled a three-run home to left, his team-leading sixth of the year.

LaSalle would get on the board in the bottom of the sixth.  Connor Hinchcliffe and Tagoe connected on a single and a double off Fordham starter Ben Greenberg.  During the next batter, Greenberg would have to be removed with an injury, bringing on Joseph Serrapica from the bullpen.  After a popout, Jared Melone singled through the right side to plate both runners, making it a 5-2 game.
 
Fordham got a run back in the seventh to go back up four, 6-2, as Fordham took advantage of a La Salle error and scored a run on an RBI-single by Stampfl.
 
From there, Serrapica and Jimmy Murphy closed down the Explorers' lineup with three scoreless innings to post the win.
 
Greenberg (4-1) earned the win, giving up two runs on 10 hits with four strikeouts.  Serrapica went the next three innings, allowing just three hits with four strikeouts, while Murphy had a strikeout in his one inning of work.  At the dish, McNally was 4-for-5 with two doubles, a home run, and three RBI, with Stampfl went 2-for-5 with three RBI.
 
WE'RE GOING STREAKIN': Senior Joseph Runco is hitting .355 (22-62) over the last 15 contests with five doubles, 14 RBI, and five stolen bases… Junior Luke Stampfl is batting .333 (14-42) over his last 13 games, notching 10 runs scored, two home runs, and eight RBI... Graduate student Ryan McNally has a .314 batting average of the last 14 games (16-51) with 12 runs scored, four doubles, three home runs, and 11 RBI… Junior Kirk Haynes, Jr. is 3-1 in his last four appearances with a 2.49 ERA and 18 strikeouts over 25.1 innings of work… Senior Joseph Serrapica is 1-0 with a save and a 1.80 ERA in his last six outings, posting 25 strikeouts in 20 innings.
 
WHO'S NEXT: Following the mid-week games, Fordham hosts Rhode Island for a three-game Atlantic 10 series, April 15-17, at Houlihan Park, before wrapping up the homestand with a game against Farifield on April 19^th.