Box Score April 13, 2011
Box Score
Bronx, N.Y. -
On a day where offense was scarce, Fordham's Chris Walker rang an RBI-single off the first base bag to score Ryan Lee for the go-ahead run in the eighth inning, as the Rams pulled out a late inning 3-2 comeback win over the LIU Blackbirds at Houlihan Park on Wednesday.
With the win, Fordham improves to 19-13 on the season, while LIU falls to 16-13.
The Blackbirds led the game throughout the first seven innings, as LIU picked up single runs in the second and third innings for a 2-0 lead. LIU loaded the bases in both innings, scoring a run on a double play ball in the second inning, and one run on an RBI-single by Julian Castro in the third.
However, those two runs would be all the offense the Blackbirds could muster on the day, as the Fordham bullpen duo of Brian Thompson and Joseph Charest kept them off the scoreboard over five and a third innings of work.
The Rams finally got on the scoreboard in the seventh, as Ryan David led off the inning with his eighth double of the season, while Brian Kownacki drew a walk. After a pop out, both runners advanced on a passed ball with David scoring on a sacrifice fly by Ryan Maghini to cut the deficit to 2-1.
Fordham then used their speed on the base paths to grab a 3-2 lead in the eighth. Nick Martinez drew a one-out walk to start the rally. Ryan Lee then hit a chopper to first base that LIU's Tito Marrero couldn't handle, allowing Lee to reach on an error with Martinez at second. Lee and Martinez then pulled off a double steal, where the throw to second bounced off Lee into centerfield, allowing Martinez to score and tie the game. Lee would hustle his way to third on the error, and then score on a single by Chris Walker, off the first base bag, for a 3-2 lead. The hit by Walker extended his hit streak to 13 games, the longest of his career.
Martinez then came into the game to pitch for Fordham to close out the game. Castro drew a led off walk, but was erased on a strike him out-throw him out double play by Martinez and Fordham catcher
Ryan David. The Blackbirds would get a two-out single by Brad Greve, but Martinez struck out Pete Leonello to earn his second save of the season.
Charest (1-0), who came in the eighth inning, got the win, allowing just one hit in one inning of work, with Martinez posting two strikeouts in the save. Thompson, the Rams' third pitcher of the afternoon, had a career game, pitching a career-long 4.1 innings of two-hit relief, while striking out a career-high three batters.
At the plate, Fordham only had four hits in the game with Maghini and Walker each having a hit and an RBI, while David and Tim Swatek had the other base hits.
The Fordham baseball team will next be in action on Friday, April 15th, when the Rams open a three-game Atlantic 10 series against the George Washington Colonials at Houlihan Park, beginning at 4:00 PM.
