Box Score March 21, 2012
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Bronx, N.Y. -
Despite some highlight performances by Fordham's Mike Mauri, Matthew DeSilva, and Rich Anastasi, the Rams fell to the Marist Red Foxes, 3-2, behind a ninth-inning rally at Houlihan Park on Wednesday.
With the loss, Fordham goes to 7-14 on the season, while Marist improved to 5-10.
Marist opened the scoring with two runs in the third off Fordham starter John Porter. Alec Petrone led off with a walk and stole second. After a ground out and a strikeout, Jake Berry drew a walk to put runners at first and third with two outs. Nick McQuail and Ben Luderer then came up with back-to-back RBI-singles to give the Red Foxes a 2-0 lead.
Following the second RBI-single, the Fordham pitching staff got stingy as Porter and reliever Rich Anastasi retired 15 batters in a row to keep the Rams in the game.
The Rams tied the game at two in the fifth inning. Tim Swatek drew a lead off walk and was sacrificed to second by Ryan Maghini. After a fly out, Mike Mauri crushed his first career home run to left center, scoring Swatek to tie the game at two.
The score remained tied until the ninth, when Fordham came out on the wrong end of two calls at first. Luderer led off the frame against Fordham reliever Jeremy Adel, and hit a ground ball to short. The throw was wide, but Swatek looked to have applied the tag as the runner ran by, by the umpire called no tag, so the runner was safe. After a sacrifice, Pat Welsh hit another ground ball to short, where again Swatek looked to have held the bag, but once again the umpire ruled that he did not, leaving runners at first and second. A passed ball advanced the runners one base, which was followed by a sacrifice fly by Chris Napolitano, scoring pinch runner Eric Molinaro from third.
Fordham tried to answer in the ninth, as
Ryan Phelan opened with a single to center, and was pinch run for by
Jack Buckley.
Matthew DeSilva, who recorded his first two career hits in the game, sacrificed Buckley to second. Marist closer Jake Rifkin then got back-to-back ground outs of
Matthew Cianci and Swatek to end the game in a 3-2 decision for the Red Foxes.
Porter received a no-decision, allowing two runs on five hits in five innings, while setting a new career-high with five strikeouts. Anastasi threw three hitless innings of relief with three strikeouts, while Adel (1-1) took the loss, allowing one unearned run in one inning of work.
At the plate, Mauri was 2-for-4 with a home run and two RBI, while DeSilva and Ryan Maghini were both 2-for-3.
The Fordham baseball team will next be in action on Friday, March 23rd, when the Rams open Atlantic 10 play against the Massachusetts Minutemen at Houlihan Park, beginning at 3:30 PM.
