March 8, 2009
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Richmond, Va. - The Fordham baseball team dropped both games of the Sunday afternoon double-header against as the Virginia Commonwealth University (VCU) Rams swept Fordham in the three-game series.
Fordham falls to 1-9 with the losses as VCU improves to 8-3 on the year.
In game one, Daniel Munday (0-2) took the loss after four and two thirds innings pitched out of the bullpen, giving up five runs off of five hits and two walks while striking out two.
At the plate, Stephen McSherry went 3-4 with two runs while Mike Mobbs had two hits, two runs and two RBI. Danny Leach also knocked in two RBI with one hit while Bobby DiNardo and Ryan Maghini knocked in one a piece.
Fordham got things rolling in the top of the first when Danny Leach took the second pitch of the game to right-center field for his first triple of the year. Alex Kenny knocked Leach in with a sacrifice fly to right to give Fordham the early 1-0 lead.
VCU would return the favor and then some, scoring four runs on three hits in the bottom half of the frame. After retiring the first two batters, Fordham starting pitcher J.P. Mack issued a walk and a single to center field to put runners on the corner. Joe Van Meter would then knock a double to left field to score the runner on third.
After issuing a walk to Michael Cheatham to load the bases, Mack seemed to get out of the jam as Nate Furry swung and missed a third strike, but the ball would escape catcher Ryan David's grip, allowing all runners, including Furry, to advance and score VCU's second run of the game.
Things did not end there, as a Ryan Caldwell single scored Van Meter and Cheatham to give VCU the 4-1 edge leaving the first.
Fordham chipped away at the three run deficit with Brian Kownacki reaching third after drawing a walk, stealing second base and advancing to third on a wild pitch. Danny Leach knocked in Kownacki on a fly ball to left that was miscued by VCU left fielder Ryan Caldwell.
VCU got the run right back in the bottom half of the third. Van Meter started things off from the get go, singling to left field. After stealing second base, Van Meter found himself on third by advancing on a Cheatham ground ball to short. Furry would then knock in Van Meter after hitting a line drive that ricocheted off of Fordham pitcher J.P. Mack's leg with the ball ultimately ending up in right field.
In the fourth, VCU tacked on another run through some small ball. Andrew Dimino opened up the inning with a walk, then stole second and reached third on a throwing error by Fordham catcher Ryan David. Taylor Perkins brought Dimino home on a ground ball to short, giving VCU a 6-2 lead.
Fordham got back on the board in the top of the sixth, as Kownacki reached first on a throwing error by VCU shortstop Doug Otto. Kownacki used another VCU throwing error, this time on a failed pick-off attempt, to reach third. Designated-hitter Bobby DiNardo brought Kownacki in with a single to left, bringing the Fordham deficit to three runs.
With one out in the top of the seventh, the Fordham offense capitalized on a number of scoring chances, bringing home three runs to tie the game, 6-6. Stephen McSherry roped a double to right-center and would eventually move to third on a past ball to start things off. A Mike Mobbs single brought in McSherry, bringing Fordham to within two.
Pinch-hitter Ryan Maghini stepped to the plate and knocked a single to left-center while a Kownacki single loaded the bases. Leach would then bring home Mobbs with a ground ball to the shortstop while Maghini found his way across the plate, tying the game at 6-6, on an Alex Kenny infield hit.
The Fordham bats would not rest here, as the Rams took their first lead since the top half of the first inning with three runs in the top of the eighth. With runners on first and second, Mobbs stepped to the plate and knocked in his second RBI of the game with a single to left, scoring pinch runner John Kahn.
Two wild pitches would supply Fordham with their second run in the inning, scoring McSherry and pushing Mobbs to third. A Maghini single would bring Mobbs home, bringing the Rams to a 9-6.
The Fordham lead was short-lived, as VCU scored five runs in the top of the eighth, capped off by a Carlos Rodriguez three-run homerun, bringing VCU back ahead and ultimately giving them the 11-9 win.
In the second game, Fordham, once again, got things off to a good start with Bobby DiNardo scoring Danny Leach from second base with a single to left in the top half of the first inning.
DiNardo knocked in his second RBI of the game in the top of the fourth, though this time he did not need a runner on base as he took the Ryan Crosby offering over the left field fence for his fourth homerun of the season.
Starting pitcher Max Krakowiak retired the first 10 batters of the game before finding himself in trouble in the bottom of the fourth. With one out, Krakowiak gave up his first hit of the game, followed up a bad throw to second when trying to turn, what would be, an inning ending double-play. With that error, runners were on the corners for VCU's Joe Van Meter who hit a single to right, scoring Doug Otto followed by a Carlos Rodriguez hit to score R.J. Schenk.
That was not all that VCU had to offer in the inning as Matt Leskiw hit a double into the left-center gap, scoring Van Meter to give VCU the 3-2 lead.
With two runners in scoring position in the bottom of the fifth, Van Meter knocked in two more runs to extend the VCU lead to 5-2.
Things remained quiet for both teams until Fordham catcher Ryan Walker stepped up to the plate in the top of the eighth to belt his first-career homerun, bringing Fordham to within two of VCU.
Max Krakowiak (0-2) takes the loss, throwing seven complete innings giving up five runs (two earned) on seven hits with one walk and eight strike outs.
Bobby DiNardo found his stroke in the second game, going 3-4 with a double, a homerun and three RBI. Danny Leach had two hits with one run scored while Chris Walker went 1-3 with a homerun in the game.
Fordham returns to Rose Hill for the Rams' first home game of the season, as they take on New York Institute of Technology on Wednesday, March 11 at 3:00 PM.
