Box Score March 15, 2008
Box Score
Bronx, N.Y. -
Baseball fans who love pitching weren't disappointed at the Fordham-Sacred Heart doubleheader on Saturday. In the two games, Ram hurlers held the Pioneers to just two runs and nine hits, just one in the second game, as Fordham sweep Sacred Heart, winning the first game, 3-1, and the nightcap, 8-1.
With the win, Fordham's ninth straight on the season, the Rams improve to 9-5 on the year while Sacred Heart falls to 1-12. The Rams have also now won 14 straight home games dating back to last season, tying the Rams with Central Florida for the third longest active home winning streak in the nation (#1 Arizona State enters a Saturday night game with Troy with a 17-game home winning streak while Kentucky takes a 14-game streak into a Saturday game with Alabama).
Peter Kennelly threw five innings of five-hit ball, striking out a career-high seven, to lead the Rams in game one while Jake Rabinowitz held Sacred Heart to just one hit and one unearned run over the first seven innings, fanning a career-high ten, in the second game.
In the first game, the Rams jumped out to a 1-0 lead in the first as with one out, Rich Goulian tripled down the right field line and scored on an Eric Reese single.
Sacred Heart loaded the bases with two outs in the bottom of the second on consecutive walks to Matt Fitton, Ryan Nemcek and Justin Mulrain but Kennelly struck out Phil Tantillo looking to end the threat.
Fordham threatened in the bottom of the second when Rob Iacono reached on a bunt single and John Kahn and Alex Kenny followed with singles to load the bases but P.J. Como lined into a double play to end the inning.
Fordham took a 2-0 lead in the fourth as Kahn tripled to right center and scored on a Kenny ground out.
The Pioneers cut the deficit in half with a run in the sixth. Tyler Santos led off the frame with a walk and JJ Edwards singled him to second. A Paul Schmidt sacrifice moved both runners up a base and pinch hitter Jeff Bradinini plated Santos with an infield single.
Sacred Heart almost tied the game in the top of the seventh as Hanson opened the inning with a single and he stole second. But Mack struck out Frank Bainer and Santos before getting Edwards to ground out to end the inning.
The Rams made it a 3-1 game in the home half of the seventh when Kenny led off getting hit by a pitch and he took second when the Sacred Heart shortstop dropped the throw from the catcher on an attempted steal. One out later, Kenny moved to third on a ground out and he would score when the Pioneers' catcher threw the ball away on a pickoff attempt at third.
Kennelly (1-0) picked up his first win of the year while throwing a career-high five innings while Chris Kaible pitched a 1-2-3 ninth to earn his second save of the year. Kahn was a perfect 3-for-3 in game one with a run scored while Goulian collected a pair of hits.
In game two, Sacred Heart took a 1-0 lead with an unearned run in the second. With one out, Tantillo doubled and Bradinini walked to put runners on first and second. The two runners then pulled off a double steal with Tantillo scoring on the play when the throw to third went into left field.
The game stayed 1-0 until the fifth when the Rams knotted the game as Bobby DiNardo led off the frame with a walk, took second on a wild pitch, moved to third on a ground out and then stole home.
Fordham broke the tie with a pair of runs in the sixth when Como led off with a single before a Danny Leach fielder's choice forced him at second. One out later, Reese singled Leach to second and Kaible delivered him with a single to center, moving Reese to third. Reese would then score on a passed ball.
The Rams then put the game away with a five-run eighth. Como and Leach led off the inning with back-to-back singles. Como then came around to score when a Goulian sacrifice bunt was misplayed, allowing Leach to move to third and Goulian to take second. A Reese single plated Leach with the second run of the inning with Goulian moving to third. Kaible delivered both runners with a single and he would score later in the inning on a Kenny sacrifice fly.
Rabinowitz (1-0) earned his first win of the year on the mound for the Rams while Greg Dimmling threw the final two innings for the Rams, allowing no hits and striking out two to pick up his first career save.
Kaible finished game two 3-for-4 with three RBI while Reese and Como also collected two hits.
The Rams will next be in action on Tuesday, March 18th as they host N.Y. Tech at Houlihan Park at 3:00 p.m.
