Box Score March 19, 2010
Box Score
Port St. Lucie, N.Y. -
Two of the longest tenured baseball program's met for the first time ever on Friday, as the Fordham Rams and Michigan Wolverines opened up a three-game set at the New York Mets Spring Training Facility in Port St. Lucie, Florida. By game's end, Michigan's Anthony Toth and Coley Crank each tallied three hits, as the Wolverines outlasted the Rams, 8-6.
Fordham is now 4-12 on the season, while Michigan moves to 7-9 overall.
Fordham jumped out to an immediate 1-0 lead in the top of the first inning. With two outs and Nick Martinez at first on a single, Ryan McCrann singled up the middle, moving Martinez to second. Chris Walker then singled to left, scoring Martinez from second.
The Rams made it 2-0 in the second, as Angelo Ponte started the frame with a single down the right field line. Brian Kownacki followed with a single to center, moving Ponte to third with Kownacki taking second on the throw. Stephen McSherry then plate Ponte with a RBI-ground out to shortstop.
Michigan bounced back with four runs in the bottom of the third inning, to grab a 4-2 lead. Kevin Krantz led off the inning with a solo home run to left off Fordham starter J.P. Mack. Derek Dennis then drew a walk, but was out on interference, as he was hit by Patrick Biondi's single to the right side. Biondi then stole second and moved to third on a bunt single by Anthony Toth.
The Rams tried to get out of the inning on a ground ball to third by Chris Berset, but the throw went errant, allowing Biondi to score and Toth to take third. Coley Crank then doubled to left to score Toth for a 3-2 lead. Michigan finished the rally with an RBI-ground out by Mike Dufek.
Fordham came back with three runs of their own in the top of the fifth to retake the lead on the Wolverines, 5-4. With two outs and Ryan Maghini at first on a walk, Martinez singled up the middle to keep the inning alive. Mike Mobbs wrapped a double to left, scoring both runners to knot the game at four. Mobbs then scored following two wild pitches.
Michigan however put together a four-run seventh inning, taking an 8-5 lead. With one out, Toth doubled and moved to third on an infield single by Berset. Crank then tripled to right center, scoring both runners, while Dufek singled to right to score Crank for a 7-5 lead, which ended Mack's day for Fordham.
One batter later with Jordan Grangard on the mound for Fordham, John Lorenz doubled home Nick Urban for an 8-5 lead, who had reached on a fielder's choice and stole second base.
Fordham tried to answer right back in the eighth, getting the possible go-ahead run to the plate. With two outs, Como reached on an infield single and moved to second on a single by Martinez. Mobbs then singled with the throw from third going errant, allowing Como to score with Mobbs and Martinez moving to second and third, respectively.
Michigan reliever Tyler Burgoon however ended the Rams' comeback getting McCrann to ground out to end the eighth, while retiring the side in order in the ninth. It was Burgoon's first save of the season, while Brandon Sinnery (2-0) earned the win in relief, allowing one run on seven hits in three innings of relief.
Mack (0-3) received the loss for Fordham, as he lasted 6.1 innings, allowing seven earned runs on 12 hits with three strikeouts. Grangard allowed the one hit in 0.2 innings of relief, while Jeremy Adel pitched a scoreless eighth inning.
At the plate, Martinez was 3-for-4 with two runs scored, while Mobbs was 2-for-5 with a double and two RBI. McCrann, Walker, and Angelo Ponte also had two hits apiece for the Rams, as Fordham totaled 14 hits in the game.
The same two teams will conclude their three-game set with a doubleheader on Saturday, beginning at 11:00 AM.
