March 5, 2013

Bronx, N.Y. - After posting a 4-1 record last week at home, the Fordham baseball continues its season long nine-game homestand on Tuesday, when the Rams host the Wagner Seahawks at Houlihan Park. Fordham enters the game at 5-3 overall, while Wagner is 1-5.

This is the first meeting between the two schools since 2005. Fordham holds a 47-15 lead in the series, and have won 24 of the last 25 meetings against the Seahawks.

PROBABLE STARTERS:
Fordham - RHP Cody Johnson (1-0) vs. Wagner - LHP Matt Morris (0-0) | | Watch

SCOUTING WAGNER: The Seahawks are 1-5 on the season, after being swept by Richmond this past weekend.

Offensively, Chris Smith has gotten out to a good start, leading Wagner with a .353 batting average and seven RBI. Tommy Mazurkiewicz and Nick Alfano have also begun their season well, hitting .318 and .316, respectively over the first six games.

On the hill, lefthanded pitcher Matt Morris is the probable starter for today's game. It will be the first appearance of the season for the junior hurler.

LAST TIME OUT: Lehigh's Jayme Edwards and Joey McNamara combined for a five-hit shutout, while Connor Faust drove in three runs, as the Mountain Hawks defeated the Fordham Rams, 6-0, at Houlihan Park in the Bronx. The loss snapped Fordham's five-game win streak, as the Rams moved to 5-3 on the year, while Lehigh improved to 5-4.

Lehigh had scoring opportunities in each of the first four innings against Fordham starter Chris Pike. After not cashing in in the first or second inning, the Mountain Hawks scored twice in the third and three times in the fourth to take a 5-0 lead.

The score remained that way until the eighth, when Lehigh scored the final run of the game on an error.

The six runs was more than enough for Lehigh's pitching duo of Jayme Edwards and Joey McNamara. Edwards (2-0) earned the win, as he held Fordham to just three hits and three walks over six innings of work, while recording three strikeouts. McNamara recorded the save, as he finished the final three innings, allowing only two hits with two strikeouts.

Pike (1-1) took the loss for the Rams, allowing five runs on eight hits with four walks and six strikeouts over four innings. Brett Kennedy had another solid performance out of the bullpen, allowing just one unearned run over four innings of relief with five strikeouts. Tim Swatek pitched the ninth, striking out one batter in a scoreless inning of relief.

At the plate, no Ram had more than one hit, as Ryan Lee, Swatek, Sam Careccia, Joseph Runco, and Joseph DeVito each had one. For Careccia, it was his first career hit.

UPCOMING GAMES: The Rams will continue the homestand on Wednesday, as Fordham hosts Fairfield at Houlihan Park, beginning at 3:00 PM.