Box Score April 16, 2008
Box Score
New York, N.Y. -
Fordham's Danny Leach went 5-for-5 with the game-winning hit in the top of the eighth inning, as Fordham took the first game of a doubleheader at Columbia by a 9-8 count. In the nightcap, Columbia allowed just four hits, as the Lions took game two by a 2-1 score.
With the split, Fordham is now 19-16-1, while Columbia is 13-21.
In game one with the game tied at eight in the eighth, Joe Russo opened the inning with a walk with Mike Mobbs coming on to pinch run. Rich Goulian moved Mobbs to second with a ground out and Danny Leach followed with a triple to break the tie.
The Rams took a 1-0 lead on an unearned run in the top of the first before Columbia took advantage of the wildness of the Fordham pitchers, scoring three times in the first on two hits and five walks. Noah Cooper opened the Columbia first with a singled and he took second on a balk. Walks to Dan Neczypor and Henry Perkins loaded the bases and Ron Williams reached on a fielder's choice with Cooper forced at the plate on the play. A walk to Mike Roberts forced in Neczypor with the first run before John Young came on to relieve Max Krakowiak on the mound for Fordham. Jake Summerhays greeted Young with a double down the left field line that cleared the bases and gave the Lions a 4-0 lead.
Columbia made it a 7-1 game with a three-run second as Cooper led off reaching on an error and Neczypor. Perkins then delivered Cooper with a double and he moved to third, with Neczypor scoring, on a passed ball. Perkins would score later in the inning on a Summerhays sacrifice fly.
The Rams cut the deficit to three, 7-4, with three runs in the third. Goulian led off the Fordham third with a single and came in to score on a Leach double, with Leach thrown out trying to stretch the hit into a triple on the play. An Eric Reese single and Chris Kaible double put runners on second and third before Shane Fox was hit by a pitch to load the bases. P.J. Como then plated Reese and Kaible with a double.
Fordham then tied the game with three more in the fourth. With one out, Goulian walked and Leach singled and, one out later, Kaible connected on his team-leading fourth home run of the year to knot the game at seven.
The Lions quickly regained the lead with a run in the bottom of the fourth as Perkins led off with a double and scored later in the inning on an error.
The Rams tied the game at eight in the sixth as Goulian led off with a walk and moved to third on a Leach single. Reese then delivered Goulian with a sacrifice fly.
Ryan Sheflott (2-0) picked up the win on the mound for the Rams, thrown five innings of scoreless, three-hit relief, striking out five. Leach finished the first game a perfect 5-for-5 with two RBI while Kaible had two hits and drove in three runs with his three-run home run.
In game two, Columbia took the early lead on an RBI-double by Williams, scoring Nick Cox who doubled to right to start the inning.
The Lions went up 2-0 in the third, as Chris Meininger was hit by a pitch, stole second, and scored on a single by Perkins.
Fordham cut the lead to 2-1 in the top of the sixth inning. Angelo Ponte doubled to start the inning and Rob Iacono was hit by a pitch. After a fly ball moved Ponte to third, Leach singled to left, scoring Ponte and moving Iacono to second. Fordham though would not to be able to cash in on the remaining runners as Reese struck out and Kaible hit into a fielder's choice.
The Rams had another chance to tie in the top of the sixth, as Fox walked and was pinch run for by Mobbs. A sacrifice bunt moved Mobbs to second, but he would be stranded as pinch-hitter Ryan McCrann struck out and Iacono flied out, and Fordham eventually fell by a 2-1 count.
John Flanagan (2-2) took the loss, allowing two runs on five hits in 5 2/3 innings. At the plate, Fordham managed only four hits, a double by Ponte and singles by Leach, Kenny, and Iacono.
The Fordham baseball team will be back in action on Friday, April 18th, as they open a three-game Atlantic 10 series at La Salle University at 3:00 PM.
