Box Score April 25, 2012
Game 1 Box Score | Game 2 Box Score
New York, N.Y. -
Renewing one of the oldest series in college baseball, the Fordham Rams and Columbia Lions split their annual doubleheader at Satow Stadium in New York. The Lions opened the day with a 6-1 victory, while Fordham bounced back with a 4-2 win in the nightcap.
With the split, Fordham moves to 18-26 on the year, while Columbia is now 18-23.
In game one, Columbia opened the scoring in the first, as Jon Eisen led off with a single, stole second base, and later scored on a single by Nick Ferraresi.
The Lions extended the lead to 5-0 with a four-run fourth inning off Fordham reliever Dan Sorine. Ferrarasi hit a three-run home run to left center, his fourth of the season, and later in the frame with runners at first and third, an errant pickoff throw allowed another run to score.
Columbia made it, 6-0, in the fifth, as Dario Pizzano hit a solo home run to left center, his fourth of the season.
The Rams would break up the shutout in the top of the seventh, as Brian Kownacki led off with a double with left, advanced to third on a wild pitch, and scored on an infield single by Rob McCunney.
Zach Epstein (1-1) recorded the win, giving up just two hits and two walks over six innings of work.
John Porter (2-5) took the loss, allowing one run on two hits with four strikeouts in three innings. Sorine gave up three earned runs on four hits in a third of an inning, with Ryan Fedak allowing one run on two hits in 1.2 innings of relief. Jordan Gajdos pitched a scoreless sixth inning.
At the plate, the Rams managed just four hits between Tim Swatek, Mike Mauri, Kownacki, and McCunney each having one. Mauri's base hit in the fourth inning did extend his hit streak to a career-high nine games.
In game two, Fordham starter Jordan Grangard kept Columbia in check until the fourth inning, when the Lions scratched a run across the plate. Alex Aurrichio connected for a base hit through the right side, and then scored on a double down the left field line by Nick Crucet.
The Rams responded with two runs in the top of the fifth inning to take their first lead of the day. With a runner on second and one out, Kownacki laced a single up the middle, scoring
Ryan Lee from second with Kownacki taking second on the throw. Kownacki then stole third and scored on
Stephen McSherry's infield single for a 2-1 lead.
Columbia knotted the game at two in the bottom half of the inning, as Aaron Silbar drew a walk, was sacrificed to second, and scored on Eric Williams' double.
Fordham recaptured the lead in the top of the seventh with some clutch, two-out hitting. With one out, McSherry and Zach Small, who came into the game as a relief pitcher for Grangard, both drew walks, and advanced a base on Dan Camano's ground out. Swatek then delivered a clutch two-out single to left, scoring McSherry and Small for a 4-2 lead.
Rich Anastasi then shut the door with a 1-2-3 seventh inning to record his third save of the season.
Small (1-0) earned the win in relief, giving up one hit in 1.2 innings of work. Grangard went the first 4.1 innings, allowing two runs on seven hits with a pair of strikeouts.
At the plate, Swatek was 2-for-4 with two RBI, while McSherry was 2-for-2 with an RBI and a run scored.
The Fordham baseball team will next be in action on Friday, April 27th, when the Rams begin a three-game Atlantic 10 series at Xavier, beginning at 3:00 PM.
