Box Score May 9, 2010
Box Score
Camden, N.J. -
Trailing 4-0 heading into the eighth inning, the Fordham Rams got the potential tying run to the plate in the ninth, but came up just short, as the Saint Joseph's Hawks took the rubber game of their Atlantic 10 series from the Rams by a 5-4 count at Campbell's Field in Camden, N.J.
The loss drops Fordham to 11-10 in the Atlantic 10, 17-31 overall, while Saint Joseph's improves to 13-8 in the conference, 18-23 on the year.
The game was scoreless as Fordham starter J.P. Mack and Saint Joseph's Chad Simendinger traded zeroes over the first three innings.
The Hawks then broke the scoreless game with two runs in the bottom of the fourth. Brett Tiagwad led off with a bunt single and moved to third on a double by Dewey Oriente. Tiagwad then scored on a ground out with Oriente coming home on Kevin Taylor's double to right for a 2-0 lead.
Saint Joseph's made it 4-0 in the sixth inning, as Oriente led off with single, which would end Mack's day after five plus innings of work, bringing John Flanagan in to pitch for Fordham. After Flanagan got the first out, Taylor drew a walk with the final pitch going wild, enabling Oriente to go to third. Flanagan would enduce a ground ball to third by Ryan McDonald, but Fordham's Ryan Maghini threw errant to second in an attempt to turn a double play ball, allowing Oriente to score. The Hawks then plated another run on a Brian Hartsell fielder's choice to third.
Fordham finally got on the board in the top of the eighth inning. Pinch hitter Joe Russo led off with a walk, but was forced out on a fielder's choice by Nick Martinez. Martinez then advanced to second on a wild pitch, and scored on a single by Brian Kownacki, making it a 4-1 game. Ryan McCrann kept the rally going with a single, but Chris Walker grounded into a double play to end the inning.
The Hawks got that run right back in the bottom of the frame, as they loaded the bases and got a run off a Rich Anastasi wild pitch, scoring Taylor from third.
Fordham looked for one more rally in the ninth, getting the potential tying run to the plate. Michael Taddei opened with a single to left, and was pinch run for by Matt DeSilva. After a fielding error by the Hawks' second baseman left runners at first and second, Stephen McSherry doubled to right center, scoring DeSilva with Mike Mobbs going to third. Fordham closed to within 5-4 on an RBI-ground out by Ryan Lee and a sacrifice fly by Russo, but Martinez would strike out to end the game, giving the series win to Saint Joseph's.
Fordham's J.P. Mack was the hard luck loser, falling to 1-6 on the season, as he went five plus innings, allowing three runs on seven hits with two strikeouts, while Flanagan threw 2.1 innings on two-hit relief, allowing two runs and three walks.
At the plate, McSherry was 2-for-4 with a double, a run scored, and an RBI, while Kownacki was 2-for-3 with an RBI.
The Fordham baseball team will next be in action on Friday, May 14th, as they open a three-game Atlantic 10 series at George Washington, beginning at 4:00 PM.
