Baseball Hosts UMass for Atlantic 10 Weekend Series

Bronx, N.Y. – After posting a 4-0 record in non-league action last week, the Fordham baseball team returns to Atlantic 10 play this weekend, when the Rams host the Massachusetts Minutemen for a three-game series at Houlihan Park.  With rain in the forecast for the weekend, the two team will play a doubleheader on Friday at 3:00 PM, and then conclude the series on either Saturday at 2:00 PM or Sunday at noon.  In either instance, Fordham baseball will honors its senior class prior to the final game of the series.
 
After snapping a nine-game losing streak, Fordham has won four in a row to even its overall record at 22-22 on the year, but sit at 7-10 in the Atlantic 10, meaning the Rams will have to make a big move this weekend and next weekend at St. Bonaventure in order to keep their Atlantic 10 playoff hopes alive.  That move is not unprecedented as in both 2007 and 2009, the Rams won their final six conference games to secure a spot at the Atlantic 10 Championship.   The move won't be easy, as it begins with UMass, who defeated Fordham two out of three games last season, and has won three of the last four meetings between the two clubs.  The Minutemen are 12-28 overall this season with a 6-12 conference mark, after dropping three games to Rhode Island last weekend.
 
PROBABLE STARTERS/GAME COVERAGE
Friday (Game 1) – RHP Jimmy Murphy (5-6, 2.85) vs. RHP Justin Lasko (2-6, 4.16) // Live Video | Live Audio | Live Stats | Follow on Twitter @FordhamBaseball
Friday (Game 2) – RHP Brandon Martin (3-1, 4.05) vs. RHP Ryan Moloney (0-2, 6.59) // Live Video | Live Audio | Live Stats | Follow on Twitter @FordhamBaseball
Saturday or Sunday – RHP Reiss Knehr (3-3, 3.88) vs. RHP Mike Geannelis (5-5, 4.22) // Saturday Live Video or Sunday Live Video | Live Audio | Live Stats | Follow on Twitter @FordhamBaseball
 
SERIES HISTORY: The Rams and Minutemen have met regularly in conference action since Fordham joined the league in the 1995-96 season.  UMass holds a slight lead in the all-time series at 26-24-1, after winning two of three games in last year's series in Amherst.  The Minutemen earned 8-1 and 8-7 wins in the first two games of the series, before a 5-0 shutout win for the Rams.  Prior to that three-game set, Fordham had won five of the last six contests.
 
LAST TIME OUT: Behind an offensive barrage in game one and some stellar bullpen work in game two, the Fordham Rams completed a baseball sweep of the LIU Brooklyn Blackbirds on Sunday at Houlihan Park, winning game one, 11-7 in seven innings and game two by a score of 5-2 in nine innings.
 
In game one, LIU Brooklyn scored a run in the top of the first inning, but the lead quickly vanished as the Rams scored four times in the bottom of the frame for a 4-1 lead.  With two outs and a runner at third, Luke Stampfl ripped a double down the left field line to score Billy Godrick from second.  Justin Bardwell followed with a double down the right field line to score Stampfl for a 2-1 lead.  After Alvin Melendez was hit by a pitch, Jason Lundy lined a single to left, scoring Bardwell.  On the play, the leftfielder mishandled the ball, allowing Melendez to score on the play as well, making it a 4-1 score.
 
The Blackbirds quickly answered with a three-run second inning, highlighted by a two-run home run by Harrison Preschel, tying the game at four. 
 
The score remained that way until the fourth, when Fordham exploded for five runs and a 9-4 lead.  Lundy started the inning with a single and stole second.  After he was sacrificed to third, Pat Gardner singled through the left side to score Lundy to regain the lead.  One out later, Godrick doubled to left, moving Gardner to third with two outs.  Mark Donadio then blasted a three-run home run to left for his third of the season, which was quickly followed by a solo home run by Stampfl for back-to-back home runs.  It was Stampfl's team-leading fifth of the season.

 
The Rams tacked on two more runs in the fifth on a two-run double by Matthew Kozuch, scoring Melendez and Ryan Jennings to make it an 11-4 score.  The Blackbirds would score three runs in the top of the seventh but it would not be enough as the Rams went on for the 11-7 win.

At the plate, Stampfl was 2-for-4 with a double, a home run, two runs scored, and two RBI, while Lundy was also 2-for-4 with an RBI, a stolen base, a run scored.  Kyle Martin (6-1) earned the win in relief, pitching 2.1 hitless innings with two strikeouts.
 
In game two, the two teams exchanged runs in the first inning with LIU Brooklyn scoring on an RBI-double by Andrew Turner, while Fordham scored on a wild pitch.  The Blackbirds went back ahead in the third, but Fordham tied the game in the fourth on an RBI-single by Lundy.
 
The score remained tied at two until the eighth inning, when Fordham scored three times for a 5-2 lead.  Kozuch started the rally with a single with Godrick laying down a sacrifice bunt.  However, LIU catcher Harrison Preschel threw wide to second base for an error.  After a wild pitch advanced the runners, Donadio reached base on an infield single to load the bases.  It was Donadio's 200^th career hit, becoming the 15^th Ram to reach that milestone.  Another wild pitch ended up scoring Kozuch from third, while Stampfl delivered a two-run double down the left field line, giving the Rams a 5-2 lead.
 
Melendez came in to pitch in the ninth, allowing a pair of hits, but no runs would score, giving Fordham the win and Melendez his fifth save of the season.  Shane McDonald (2-1) earned the win in relief, as he pitched 1.1 hitless innings with a strikeout.  Brandon Martin made the start, allowing two runs on six hits over four innings of work with three strikeouts.  Mike Cowell pitched 2.2 innings of three-hit relief without allowing a run.
 
At the dish, Lundy was 2-for-4 with an RBI, while Donadio was also 2-for-4 with a double and a run scored.
   
DONADIO HITS MILESTONES: This past Sunday, senior outfielder Mark Donadio reached an exclusive milestone, recording three hits in the doubleheader sweep of LIU Brooklyn to give him 200 in his career.  In addition to the 200-hit milestone, Donadio also played in his 200^th and 201^st game on Sunday, becoming just the fifth Ram to have 200 hits and 200 games played, joining Rich Goulian (2005-08), Danny Leach (2005-09), Brian Kownacki (2009-12), and Joey Runco (2013-16).
 
WHO'S NEXT: Following this series, Fordham has one more home game against Iona on Tuesday, May 16^th at 4:00 PM, before hitting the road for a three-game series at St. Bonaventure, May 18-20, to wrap up the regular season.