Box Score May 3, 2009
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Kingston, R.I. - The Fordham baseball team was just three outs away from taking the three-game series against the first-place University of Rhode Island, but two URI runs in the bottom of the ninth pushed the game into extra innings where a run in the bottom of the 12th gave URI the 7-6 win.
Fordham is now 16-29 (10-11 Atlantic 10) while Rhode Island improves to 32-15-1 (17-3 Atlantic 10).
Senior Bobby DiNardo started things off for Fordham in a big way, putting the Eric Smith offering over the right field fence for his 14th home run of the year. Fordham scored another run on a bases-loaded ground out by Nick Martinez to give Fordham the 2-0 lead in the top of the first.
Rhode Island cut in to the early Fordham lead to bring one runner home in the top half of the frame while URI brought in an unearned run in the bottom of the fourth to notch the game, 2-2.
URI took the lead in the bottom of the sixth with a two-out double down the left-field line, scoring Adam Derner from first while Rhode Island tacked on another run in the seventh on a wild pitch with a runner on third to put URI up, 4-2.
With Fordham putting runners on the corners in the top of the eighth, Rhode Island head coach Jim Foster called on Luke Demko to attempt his second straight, five-out save. But the Rams would not allow Demko to earn his 12th save of the year as Mike Mobbs came in from third on a pass balled while Danny Leach singled up the middle, scoring Brian Kownacki from second and making it a brand new ball game at 4-4.
In the top of the ninth, Fordham brought two runners across the plate to go up, yet again, at 6-4. Fordham did their damage with two outs as Ryan Maghini's infield single was followed by a Mobbs double in the left-center gap, scoring Maghini. Next up was John Kahn with his grounder being over thrown by URI shortstop Dan Rhault and enabled Mobbs to score on the over throw.
Rhode Island extended the game into extra innings with two ninth-inning runs, highlighted by Jeff Cammans' lead-off solo home run.
URI threatened in the bottom of the tenth with a runner on second and two out, but Kownacki's sliding stop on a ball that was heading into left enabled Jake Rabinowitz to strike out the next batter and get out of the inning.
In the 11th, Oliver Palmer came just a few feet short from a walk-off home run on a double that hit off the top of the right-field fence. But once again Fordham prevailed and got out of the inning without a run coming across.
Rhode Island ultimately won the game with only one hit in the bottom of the 12th when, with the bases loaded and two out, Tom Coulombe barely got a piece of the ball and put it in between the pitchers' mound and third base as Bobby Coyle's desperation throw to first pulled DiNardo slightly off the bag and allowed Roulombe to reach safely.
Fordham threw a total of seven pitchers in the game with Rabinowitz taking the loss on 2.2 innings of work, giving up one unearned run on two hits and three walks. URI reliever Garnder Leaver threw all three extra innings, giving up only two hits to earn his fourth win of the season.
Leach paced the Fordham offense with a 4-6 day with an RBI while Mobbs went 3-6 with two runs scored and an RBI.
Fordham will not be back in action until Friday, May 8, when they host the University of Richmond in the first of three games at 7:00 PM.
