Box Score April 21, 2012
Game 1 Box Score |
Game 2 Box Score |
Photo Gallery 
Bronx, N.Y. -
Saturday's doubleheader at Houlihan Park had one theme all afternoon: pitching. In game one, Fordham's Joseph Charest tossed his third complete game of the season to go with a career-high eight strikeouts, as the Rams topped the Explorers, 3-1. Then in the night cap, La Salle's duo of Kevin Christy and Pat Christensen held Fordham to just one run over 12 innings, as the Explorers took the second game, 2-1.
With the split, Fordham is now 17-25 on the year, 9-6 in the Atlantic 10, while La Salle moves to 17-22 overall, 4-8 in the league.
In the opener, Fordham cracked the scoreboard in the second inning, as Mike Mauri opened with a single and was sacrificed to second by Stephen McSherry. A ground out moved Mauri to third and he later scored on a wild pitch.
The Rams increased their lead to 3-0 in the fourth, when Ryan Maghini began the frame with a bunt single and was sacrificed to second by Ryan Lee. After an intentional walk to Mauri, McSherry lined a base hit to center, scoring Maghini from second. Brian Kownacki followed with an RBI-single up the middle, scoring Mauri.
Fordham starter Joseph Charest and the Rams' defense held La Salle in check through the first six innings, before the Explorers netted a run in the seventh. With one out, Joe Bennie doubled to left, and after a strikeout, George Smith, Jr. plated Bennie with a single.
However, that was the only run Charest (4-6) would give up, as he struck out a career-high eight batters to post his team-best fourth win of the season and team-leading third complete game of the year. At the plate, Mauri was 2-for-3 with two runs scored and a stolen base, while Kownacki and McSherry each had a hit and an RBI.
In the game two, Fordham and La Salle traded zeroes until the bottom of the sixth, when Fordham scratched a run across against starter Kevin Christy. Kownacki lined a triple to the wall in left center, and later scored on a wild pitch for a 1-0 lead.
Fordham then went to the bullpen for the second time in the game bringing in
Zach Small to relieve
Rich Anastasi, who came in to the game in the fourth inning, after
John Porter threw three scoreless to start the game. La Salle quickly got to Small, tying the game at one. Smith drew a walk, moved to second on a single, and later scored on an RBI-single by Marc Schoch.
La Salle looked to go ahead in the eighth, with a runner at third base and one out, but Dan Klem hit a two-hop chopper to Maghini at short, who fired home to get Justin Korenblatt, trying to score.
Fordham then had its opportunity to regain the lead in the eighth, with runners at first and third and one out after base hits by McSherry and Rob McCunney. La Salle went to its ace reliever, Pat Christensen, to keep the Rams at bay, and on the first pitch, got Ryan Phelan to pop up a bunt on a suicide squeeze play and got a double play to end the inning.
The next chance to win the game came in the bottom of the 10th, as Mauri and McSherry connected for back-to-back singles with one out. However, Christensen stranded both runners, recording the next two outs.
The Explorers had another big opportunity in the 11th inning, when Klem singled to left with one out. Following a fly out, Bennie roped a double left, with Klem trying to score, but a perfect McSherry-to-Maghini-to-Phelan relay got Klem at the plate to end the threat.
LaSalle finally did get the lead in the top of the 12th inning, as Adam Kammler hit a solo home run to right center off Fordham reliever Tim Swatek for a 2-1 lead.
Fordham gave the comeback effort a shot in the bottom of the frame, as Maghini led off with a single and was sacrificed to second. McSherry drew a walk to put runners at first and second and one out. However, Christensen got pinch-hitter Brendan Maghini to strike out, while also snagging a comebacker from Joseph Conway to end the game in favor of the Explorers.
Swatek (0-1) took the loss, allowing one run on two hits in one inning of work, as five pitchers saw action for Fordham. Porter went the first three innings, giving up just one hit and struck out two, while Anastasi also pitched three scoreless innings. Small allowed one run on two hits in his one inning with Jeremy Adel tying a career-high with four scoreless innings of relief, giving up just three hits.
At the plate, Mauri and McSherry were both 2-for-4, as Mauri extended his career-high hit streak to eight games , while Maghini and Swatek were both 2-for-5.
The Fordham baseball team will next be in action on Wednesday, April 25th, when the Rams play a doubleheader at Columbia, beginning at 2:00 PM.
