Box Score April 6, 2012
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Bronx, N.Y. -
Behind a six-run first inning and another solid pitching effort, the Fordham baseball team opened its series against the Temple Owls with an 8-5 win at Houlihan Park on Friday.
With the win, the Rams improved to 12-18 on the season, 4-3 in the Atlantic 10, while Temple dropped to 12-17 overall, 0-4 in the league.
Temple threatened to score in the first with runners at first and third with one out. Fordham starter Daniel Munday kept the Owls off the board however, striking out Connor Reilly, while getting Taylor Juran to foul out to left.
Fordham opened up the offense in the first inning, scoring a season-high six runs in the frame and batted around for the first time this season, sending 10 batters to the plate. Tim Swatek opened with a walk, while Matthew Cianci was hit by a pitch from Temple starter Dan Moller. Ryan Lee then looped in an RBI-single to left center, scoring Swatek from second. Ryan Maghini was the next batter and loaded the bases with a bunt single, which was followed by a walk to Mike Mauri, which forced in Cianci.
The scoring continued when Stephen McSherry was hit by a pitch to force in another run, while Brian Kownacki lined a double down the right field line, scoring Maghini and Mauri, for a 5-0 lead. Ryan Phelan capped the scoring with an RBI-single through the left side, scoring McSherry and ending Moller's afternoon.
The Rams added to the lead in the second inning with a single run, as Cianci drew a walk, moved to second on a wild pitch, and scored on Lee's second RBI-single of the afternoon.
The Owls cracked the scoreboard in the fifth, but Fordham immediately got the run back to lead 8-1 after five innings. Mauri singled to left to open the frame, stole second and third, and then scored on a sacrifice fly by Phelan.
Temple got back into the game with a four-run sixth inning to make it, 8-5, but the Fordham pitching staff and defense kept the Owls off the board for the remainder of the game. The biggest effort came in the bottom of the seventh with two runners on and one out, when Allen Stiles lined into a 6-4 double play to end that threat.
From there, it was Fordham's A&A tandem of Rich Anastasi and Jeremy Adel that shut the door for the victory as they each posted a scoreless inning of relief to clinch the win.
Munday (2-2) earned his second victory of the season, allowing four earned runs over seven innings of work with four strikeouts, while Adel recorded his fourth save of the season.
At the plate, Lee was 2-for-3 with two RBI, while Mauri was 2-for-3 with two runs scored and two stolen bases. Kownacki and Phelan each drove in a pair of runs with Cianci scoring a pair of runs.
The same two teams will wrap up this Atlantic 10 series on Saturday, April 7th,as they play a doubleheader, starting at 12:00 PM.
