March 28, 2009
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Bronx, N.Y. - You could not ask for better outings from your starting pitchers as Jake Rabinowitz threw eight plus innings of one run ball to lead the Rams over the University of Massachusetts, 2-1, while John Flanagan threw into the tenth inning in game two of the double-header, giving up only two runs to help Fordham take the three-game series sweep over UMass, 3-2.
With the two wins, Fordham improves to 9-13 (5-1 Atlantic 10) while UMass falls to 6-12 (1-5 Atlantic 10).
In game one, the Minutemen got on the board in the top of the second with two straight doubles off the bats of Mike Donato and Jim McDonald to give UMass the early 1-0 lead.
The Rams got the run back, in the bottom of the sixth, with Danny Leach's walk to start off the inning. Mike Mobbs sacrificed Leach to second with a bunt, while Leach found himself on third after stealing his 11th base on the season. He would later be scored on a Ryan David ground gall to first base.
Fordham took over the lead on Shane Fox's lead-off single to start the bottom of the seventh. Ryan Maghini followed with a single of his own to put runners on first and second. Just like in the previous inning, the Rams used a bunt, this time by Brian Kownacki, to move the runners into scoring position with only one out. Alex Kenny's fly ball to center field was deep enough to do the trick with Maghini tagging up at third to put the Rams up, 2-1.
Rabinowitz's first start of the season proved to be one of his best outings of his career, as he threw into the ninth before being pulled after walking the lead-off man. In his eight innings of work, the senior gave up only one run on five hits, three walks while striking out seven. Jordan Grangard came in to relieve Rabinowitz in the ninth to get the final three outs of the game and earn his second save of the season.
At the plate, Ryan McCrann, Shane Fox and Ryan Maghini had the only hits for the Rams while Alex Kenny and Ryan David drove in both Fordham runs.
It was a rubber match, once again, in the second game with both starting pitchers throwing deep into the game.
The first runs across the plate were for UMass, as they plated one runner in the top of the second. The Rams responded in the bottom half of the inning, with runners on first and second. Up stepped Kenny to the plate to single in Ryan McSherry from second base to tie the ballgame, 1-1.
The Rams brought runners home in the bottom of the third, with the action starting off on one-out walks from
Mike Mobbs and
Bobby DiNardo. Both runners would move up on a wild pitch, but not before UMass catcher Tom Conley threw down to third, in attempt to throw out Mobbs, only to have his ball end up in the outfield and allow Mobbs to score.
That run did not settle well with the Minutemen as UMass notched the game at 2-2, in the bottom of the fourth, on two hits.
Both teams could not manage to bring home a run until the Rams did it in the tenth inning. There were a few threats, with Fordham loading the bases in the bottom of the ninth with one out, only to come up empty while the Minutemen had the same situation in the top of the tenth. Senior Chris Kaible got the Rams out of that bases loaded jam by inducing a ground ball double-play to end the inning.
It was in the bottom of the tenth that the Rams finally pushed past the Minutemen with Mobbs leading off with a walk. DiNardo moved Mobbs over to third with a base hit to put runners on the corners for Chris Walker.
Walker was now faced with the same situation in yesterday's 6-5 win, where he knocked in the winning run, in the bottom of the eighth, with a single up the middle. The sophomore did not blink at the opportunity to come up big, once again, for his high chopper to second had too much hang time for Minutemen second basemen Adam Tempesta, as his desperation throw to home was not in time to get Mobbs from scoring the game-winning run.
Though Walker gets his second game-winning base hit in as many days, starting pitcher John Flanagan earns much of the credit with his nine plus innings performance on the mound, giving up only two runs, one earned, on five hits, five walks and three strike outs. Flanagan made it into the tenth inning, but was pulled after giving a lead-off walk. Kaible earns his third win of the season with one inning of no-run relief work to improve to 3-1.
Fordham now hits the road for a game against the New York Institute of Technology on Tuesday, March 31, at 3:00 PM.
