Box Score Feb. 19, 2011
Box Score
Richmond, Va. - On Friday, it was VCU taking advantage of Fordham mistakes, leading to a win. On Saturday, the roles reversed as Fordham drilled out 13 hits and took advantage of three VCU errors, as Fordham topped VCU, 6-4, for its first win of 2011. With the win, Fordham evens its record at 1-1.
Fordham would score early and often over the first three frames, jetting out to a 5-0 lead by the third inning. Fordham scored twice in the second and three times in the third, beginning with a Joe Russo single, where he ended up at second after a throwing error. Brian Kownacki then singled to center and stole second, putting runners at second and third with no outs. Fordham then got back-to-back RBI-ground outs by Tim Swatek and Mike Mauri to open up a 2-0 lead.
In the third, Fordham's inning began with Ryan Maghini reaching on an error, and stealing second. Nick Martinez then reached on an infield single, moving Maghini to third. Ryan David followed with a two-run double to right center, scoring Maghini and Martinez. After another error moved David to third, David would score on a fielder's choice by Russo.
Fordham went up by a 6-0 count in the top of the sixth, as Matt DeSilva reached first on a dropped third strike with one out. DeSilva then stole second and third base, and scored on a single by Alex Kenny.
VCU then scratched a run across in the bottom half of the sixth off Fordham starter Max Krakowiak on an RBI-triple. Prior to that hit, Krakowiak had allowed just two hits over the first five innings, while striking out eight VCU hitters.
VCU would close the gap with a three-run eighth, however Swatek, who had come in from right field to relieve John Porter, struck out five batters over the final two innings, including striking out the side in the ninth to preserve the win.
Krakowiak (1-0) picked up his first win of the season, allowing just one run on three hits in 5.1 innings, while striking out eight. Porter pitched 1.2 innings of relief in his first career appearance, allowing two runs on one hit, while Swatek, also in his first mound appearance, gave up one run on two hits with five strikeouts in the final two innings of work.
At the plate, the Rams got a combined eight hits and three RBI out of the top four hitters in the line-up, as Martinez, David, Chris Walker, and Russo each had a pair of hits, with David adding two RBI. Kenny tied a career-high with his second career three-hit game to go with an RBI.
The rubber game of the series between Fordham and VCU is set for a 1:00 PM start on Sunday.
