Box Score April 15, 2008
Box Score
Piscataway, N.J. -
With a total of 28 runners left on base through 11 innings, it was no surprise that Fordham-Rutgers baseball game was a high scoring affair. However, neither team could get the deciding run before darkness fell, as the Rams and Scarlet Knights played to an 8-8 tie.
Fordham is now 18-15-1 overall, while Rutgers is 12-19-1.
Fordham opened with a 1-0 lead in the second inning, as Chris Kaible drew a walk, stole second, and scored on an RBI-single by Alex Kenny.
The Rams extended the lead to 5-0 in the third, scoring four times in the frame. Ryan David started the rally with a single up middle. Shane Fox then doubled to left center for his first career hit, moving David to third. Rich Goulian then singled to score David for a 2-0 lead with Fox taking third. After a stolen base by Goulian, Danny Leach drew a walk to load the bases. After a fly out, Kaible ripped a two-run single up the middle, scoring Goulian and Fox. The Rams added their final run on a wild pitch that scored Leach.
Rutgers threatened to get on the board in the bottom of third, as they loaded the bases with one out on a single and two walks. Fordham starter Brando Casalicchio though got out of the jam, striking out Jon Gossard and getting Jaren Matthews to fly out to center.
The Scarlet Knights loaded the bases again in the bottom of the fourth with two outs, but Casalicchio once again got out of the jam, as Jarred Jimenez lined out to Goulian to end the inning.
Fordham extended the lead to 7-0 in the top of the fifth, as Rams loaded the bases on a walk to Kaible, a single by Michael Taddei, and an infield single by P.J. Como. Following a foul out, David knocked out a two-run single to right, scoring Kaible and Taddei.
The Rams tacked on another run in the sixth, as Goulian walked, stole second, moved to third on a single by Danny Leach, and scored on a ground ball double play hit by Eric Reese. Reese, who came into the game with a 15-game hitting streak, was the only Ram starter without a hit on the afternoon, snapping the streak.
The third time was the charm for Rutgers in the bottom of the sixth, as they loaded the bases against Fordham reliever John Flanagan. Rutgers capitalized this time, eventually scoring five runs in the inning, highlighted by RBI-singles by Jimenez and Luis Feliz.
The Scarlet Knights made it 8-6 in the seventh, as Jimenez ripped an RBI-double down the left field line, scoring Brandon Boykin, who pinch ran for Jayson Hernandez.
Rutgers then tied the game with two runs in the bottom of the eighth, but could have been more if not for a fortunate bounce. With two outs and a runner on first, Dan Betteridge drew a walk from reliever John Young. Both teams then went to the bench as Pat Biserta pinch-hit for Rutgers, while Kaible came in to pitch for Fordham. Biserta then connected on an RBI-single, scoring Feliz. Vic Cegles then hit a ground-rule double that bounced over the fence, scoring Betteridge to tie the game, but Biserta had to stay at third. Kaible though got Donny Callahan to ground out to leave the game tied after eight innings.
Fordham threatened to score in the ninth with two on and two outs, but Sean Campbell struck out Bobby DiNardo to end the threat.
Rutgers also had a chance in the ninth to win the game with a runner on third and two outs, but Kaible got Jaren Matthews to ground out to force extra innings.
After a scoreless tenth, the Rams had an unlikely source as the go-ahead run in the 11th inning. After relieving Kaible in the tenth at pitcher, Greg Dimmling stepped to the plate as the lead-off hitter for his first collegiate at bat. After going down 0-2, Dimmling swung at the offering and drove it deep to right, but the ball fell just a foot shy of fair territory and a go-ahead home run. Dimmling did square the count at two, and drove a single up the middle for his first career hit.
After a sac bunt, Dimmling later moved to third on a fly ball, but Kenny fouled out to the first baseman, leaving him stranded.
To get the tie, Dimmling and the Rams had to sweat out a chance by Rutgers with one out. With runners at second and third, Dimmling struck out Tom Edwards and Gossard, the Rutgers' three and four hitters, to end the game in a tie due to darkness.
For Fordham, starter Brando Casalicchio was very efficient, throwing five innings of four hit ball with four strikeouts, while Dimmling struck out four over the final two innings. At the plate, Ryan David recorded his first three-hit game, going 3-for-5 with two RBI, while Chris Kaible was 1-for-3 with two runs scored and two RBI. Rich Goulian also had two runs scored and two stolen bases.
The Fordham baseball team will return to action on Wednesday, April 16th, as they play a doubleheader at Columbia University, beginning at 2:00 PM.
