Box Score May 8, 2009
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Bronx, N.Y. - The Fordham baseball team was enjoying a 7-4 lead in the top of the seventh when the University of Richmond's Bill Barber hit a game-changing grand slam to give the Spiders an 8-7 advantage. But the Rams prevailed with a run in the bottom half of the frame while taking the lead in the eighth on a Stephen McSherry sacrifice fly that gave the Rams the 9-8 win.
Fordham improves to 17-29 (11-11 Atlantic 10) while Richmond falls to 20-21 (9-13 Atlantic 10).
The Spiders scored a run in the top of the first, but was answered right back with five Rams' runs in the bottom of the second to give Fordham a 5-1 lead. With two outs and the bases loaded, John Kahn beat out a grounder to second base, scoring Michael Taddei on the infield single and giving Fordham their first run in the inning.
Danny Leach cleared the bases with a single to right and advanced to third when Mike Merganthaler's throw, in attempt to get Kahn out and end the inning, went over the third baseman's head. The Rams' were not done there as Brian Kownacki's single to left brought home Leach to cap off the Fordham scoring in the inning.
From this point, both starters cooled down as Richmond's Stephen Owens allowed only one hit over the next three innings while Fordham's J.P. Mack surrendered only one base knock in four innings.
Richmond tagged Mack for two runs in the sixth with the Rams responding with two runs in the bottom of the sixth to bring the score to 7-3. Fordham got the first run when McSherry plated Taddie on a ground-ball double play while Nick Martinez scored the final run on a passed ball.
Mack was on his way to getting out of the seventh with two out and a runner on, but after hitting a batter and giving up a single, the senior gave up a bases-loaded walk to bring in the first of five Spiders runs in the inning. The other four runs came on Barber's grand slam to right-center field, giving Richmond an 8-7 lead.
A momentum swing that big could take the wind out of any team's sails, but the Rams' battled back with a run in the bottom of the seventh to notch the game at 8-8. Fordham used another Richmond overthrow to help bring in a run when Leach scored from first on Mergenthaler's second throwing error in the game.
Fordham took the lead with a run in the bottom of the eighth on McSherry's sacrifice fly that brought home pinch-runner Alex Kenny from third.
The excitement did not end there when, with Richmond putting a runner on second with only one out in the top of the ninth, Leach made a diving stop down the third base line that not only kept Chris Cuppia from scoring, but the amazing stop kept Cuppia from advancing.
With runners now on first and second, it was time for senior Chris Kaible to come into the game and earn his second save of the year after getting Evan Stehle to ground into a game-ending double play.
Daniel Munday picks up his first collegiate win on 1.1 innings out of the bullpen, surrendering no runs with one walk and one strike out. Richmond's Ian Marshall takes the loss on two innings of relief work, giving up three runs, one earned, on two hits, one walk and a strike out.
Martinez paced the Fordham offense, going 3-3 with two runs and a walk. Leach added a 2-4 night with two runs and two RBI while Kownacki went 2-4 with an RBI.
The Rams and Spiders will be back at it on Saturday, May 9, at 4:00 PM. Be sure to arrive at Houlihan Park early as the Rams will be celebrating Alumni Day with a very special pre-game presentation to the family of former Fordham great, Santy Gallone, who was tragically killed in 2008.
