Box Score May 21, 2011
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Bronx, N.Y. - In the team's longest game of the season and a playoff spot on the line, the Fordham Rams couldn't find a way past Xavier reliever Seth Willoughby, as he threw 6.2 innings of one-hit relief, as the Musketeers' five-run rally in the top of the 14th inning downed Fordham, 8-4, at Houlihan Park on Saturday night, ending the Rams season and the careers of eight baseball seniors.
With the loss, Fordham ends the season at 31-23-1 overall, 12-11-1 in the Atlantic 10, while Xavier improved to 30-25 on the year, 14-10 in the league.
The Rams got off to a great start in the first, plating a pair of runs for a 2-0 lead. Nick Martinez led off with a walk, and scored on an RBI-triple by Ryan Lee. Ryan David quickly plated Lee with a single through the left side for the two-run edge.
Xavier knotted the game at two in the third, loading the bases on two singles and a hit by pitch. Ben Thomas would draw a bases loaded walk for the first run, while Phil Bauer's fielder's choice scored the other run.
The score remained at 2-2 until the bottom of the fifth, when Fordham regained the lead. With two outs and a runner on first, Lee singled Martinez to third, followed by another RBI-single by David for a 3-2 lead.
The lead was short-lived however as Xavier knotted the game at three in the sixth. Brian Bruening reached base on a dropped third strike and was sacrificed to second. After a wild pitch moved him up a base, Selby Chidemo's ground out allowed Bruening to cross the plate, once again tying the game.
From that point on it was a battle of the bullpens, which started with Fordham's Tim Swatek and Xavier's Josh Murphy. Swatek would throw 3.1 inning of four-hit relief with two strikeouts, while Murphy got into a bit of trouble in the seventh, as Fordham had runners at second and third with one out. Seth Willoughy then came in to relieve Murphy and got out of the inning with a ground out and a strikeout.
Willoughby would take over from there, allowing only two base runners over 6.2 innings of one-hit relief with eight strikeouts.
On Fordham's side, Martinez took over for Swatek with two outs in the ninth and worked through the 13th inning, allowing just two hits with a career-high five strikeouts. However, in the 14th, Xavier strung together six singles and added in a walk and a hit by pitch against Martinez and fellow reliever Rich Anastasi to put together a five-run rally and take an 8-3 lead.
The Rams did get a run back in the bottom of the inning on an error, but Xavier's Nathan Mutsch was able to get the final three outs to give the Musketeers the win.
Martinez (1-3) took the loss for Fordham, allowing three earned runs in a season-long outing of 4.2 innings to go with a career-high five strikeouts. He also scored three of Fordham's four runs in the game. Starter Max Krakowiak received a no-decision, throwing the first 5.1 innings, allowing three runs on six hits with four strikeouts.
At the plate, Lee led the offense, going 4-for-7 with a triple and an RBI, while David was 3-for-7 with a pair of RBI.
