Box Score March 31, 2012
Box Score
St. Bonaventure, N.Y. -
Following Friday's performance, the Fordham baseball team looked for a bounce back effort in game two of its series at St. Bonaventure on Saturday at Fred Handler Park. The team responded with a fantastic pitching effort from Chris Pike and Jeremy Adel and got a two-run single from Zach Small in the top of the 12th inning to take the game 5-3 from the Bonnies in extra innings.
With the win, Fordham moves to 10-17 on the season, 2-3 in the Atlantic 10, while the Bonnies are now 10-10 overall, 2-3 in the league.
Fordham opened the scoring in the third inning, when Tim Swatek opened the frame with a double to left center, with Matthew Cianci following with a walk. After a fielder's choice by Ryan Lee left runners at first and third, Lee stole second. A strikeout and a walk had the bases loaded with two outs for Stephen McSherry, who doubled to right field, scoring Swatek and Lee for a 2-0 lead.
St. Bonaventure responded with three runs in the bottom of the fourth off the bat of Austin Ingraham. After a single and an error put two runners on, Ingraham connected for a three-run home run to right for a 3-2 lead.
Fordham came right back in the top of the fifth to knot the game at three, as Ryan Maghini blasted a solo home run to right, his team-leading third of the season.
Neither team could muster much against the pitching of Fordham starter
Chris Pike and St. Bonaventure reliever Asa Johnson. Pike would pitch into the 11th inning for Fordham, as he locked down the Bonnies line-up, scattering seven hits over 10-plus innings and allowing just two earned runs with seven strikeouts. Johnson was also very effective out of the Bonnies' bullpen, as he gave up only one hit over the first six innings he pitched.
Then in the 12th inning, Cianci tagged Johnson for a leadoff single, which was followed by a sacrifice bunt by Lee and a walk to Maghini. That ended Johnson's effort, as the Bonnies brought in their second baseman Jason Radwan to face to Mike Mauri. Radwan got Mauri to fly out to left, brining McSherry to the plate with two outs.
St. Bonaventure continued the match-up game, as the team's third baseman Billy Urban came in to pitch, but Urban walked McSherry to load the bases. Radwan came back in to pitch on another double switch to face Zach Small. Small answered the call, ripping the first pitch for a two-run single to left for a 5-3 lead.
Fordham reliever Jeremy Adel, who got a big strikeout to end a threat in the 11th inning, began the bottom of the 12th by retiring Ryan Skellie on strikeout and Mike Grieco on a fly out. St. Bonaventure did get a single by Mike Meredith, but Adel induced a Derek Morgan ground ball, which forced Meredith at second to end the ball game.
Adel (2-1) earned the win in relief of Pike, giving up one hit over two innings of work with two strikeouts. At the plate, Swatek was 2-for-6 with a double, while Lee also had a pair of hits. McSherry and Small each went 1-for-3 with two RBI.
The rubber game of the series will take place on Sunday morning, beginning at 11:00 AM.
