Box Score May 3, 2011
Final Stats
Bronx, N.Y. -
The first time Fordham and Manhattan met on the diamond, the Rams scored early and often, crossing the plate four times in the first inning alone, en route to an 8-6 win. Today, two Jasper pitchers quieted the Fordham bats, allowing just six hits, as Manhattan blanked Fordham 8-0 at Van Cortlandt Park.
With the loss, Fordham falls to 27-18 while Manhattan improves to 24-15.
Manhattan jumped out to a 1-0 lead in the bottom of the first as Mark Onorati led off reaching on an infield single and, two outs later he moved to second when Mike McCann walked. Onorati then scored on a Austin Sheffield single up the middle.
The Jaspers made it a 2-0 game in the third. Nick Camastro was hit by a pitch with one out before walks to McCann and Chad Salem loaded the bases. Camastro scored on a Sheffield's sacrifice fly but Fordham pitcher Brian Thompson got out of further trouble by inducing Ramon Ortega to pop out to end the inning.
The Rams didn't have any scoring opportunities over the first six innings with only four base runners over that time, and Manhattan picked up another run in the bottom of the sixth on an Onorati RBI single.
Fordham threatened in the top of the seventh as with one out, Chris Walker doubled but was thrown out trying to stretch it into a triple. Tim Swatek followed with a single and a Brian Kownacki single moved him to second but Ryan Lee lined out to end the threat.
Manhattan increased the lead to 5-0 with a pair of runs in the seventh. Salem opened the frame with a walk and McCann followed with a single, moving to second when the ball was misplayed by Swatek in right which allowed Salem to score. After Sheffield was hit by a pitch Ortega brought in McCann with a sacrifice fly.
The Jaspers closed out the scoring with three runs in the eighth, capped by a two-run double from Salem.
Thompson allowed two hits and two earned runs over the first four and two-third as he suffers his first loss of the year (2-1).
The Rams will next be in action on Friday, May 6th, as they host the Saint Joseph's University Hawks at 7:00 p.m. in the first game on a three-game Atlantic 10 series at Houlihan Park.
