Box Score March 2, 2011
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Bronx, N.Y. -
One of the oldest and longest rivalries in college baseball was renewed once again on Wednesday between Fordham and Manhattan. The cold and blustery day at Houlihan Park could not stop the Rams, as Ryan Lee and Chris Walker each drove in a pair of runs to extend Fordham's win streak to six with an 8-6 win over the Jaspers.
Fordham improves to 6-1 on the season, while Manhattan falls to 1-3. Since 1923, Fordham is 77-23-3 against Jaspers, and have won five of the last seven meetings.
The action began early, as the Jaspers jumped out to a 1-0 lead in the first. Mark Onorati led off the game with a single and was sacrificed to second. After advancing on another ground ball, Onorati scored on a passed ball.
Fordham answered with four runs in the bottom of the frame to lead, 4-1. Manhattan starter Jared Hirschberg lasted just three batters, as Nick Martinez led off with a walk, followed by a single by Ryan David. After a wild pitch advanced the runners, Chris Walker lifted a fly ball to right, which Manhattan's Mike McCann dropped, allowing Martinez and David to score with Walker going to third on the error.
Matt Jordan came on in relief for Manhattan, who then walked Joe Russo, and gave up an RBI-double to Ryan Lee, scoring Walker. Alex Kenny was then hit by a pitch to load the bases. Ryan Maghini plated the final run of the inning with a ground out.
The Rams made it 6-1 in the second, as Martinez and David led off the inning just like the first with a walk and a hit-and-run single to put runners at first and third. After a line out, Russo singled through the left side to score Martinez. After another pitching change and a pick off of David at second base, Brian Kownacki singled to advance Russo to second, while Lee singled Russo home for the five-run lead.
Fordham tacked on another run in the third, as the Rams loaded the bases with one out, and received a sacrifice fly by Walker.
Manhattan chipped away at the Fordham lead, scoring once in the fourth and three times in the fifth to close the gap to, 7-5.
Fordham regained its three-run edge in the bottom of the eighth at 8-5, as Walker led off with a single, extending his hit streak to ten games, dating back to last year. Matt DeSilva came in to pinch run for Walker, and promptly stole second. DeSilva then moved to third on a wild pitch and scored on a sacrifice fly by Kownacki.
The Jaspers had an opportunity to tie, as Manhattan had second and third with no outs in the ninth against Fordham reliever Tim Swatek. Swatek would give up an RBI-ground out, but that was all, as he got a pop out and a strikeout to end the ball game.
Fordham starting pitcher John Flanagan (1-0) recorded the win, throwing the first four innings of the game, allowing one earned run on six hits, while Swatek posted his first career save, pitching the final three innings, allowing one run on three hits with three strikeouts. John Porter (1 IP, 3 H, 2 ER) and Ryan DeMartino (1 IP, 1 H, 1 K) also pitched in relief for the Rams.
At the plate, Lee was 2-for-3 with a double and two RBI, while Walker was 1-for-3 with two RBI. David also had a pair of hits with Martinez and Russo each scoring two runs.
The Fordham baseball team will next be in action on Friday, March 4th, as the Rams take on the Wake Forest Demon Deacons at 4:00 PM in Winston Salem, North Carolina.
