Box Score March 9, 2013
Box Score
Bronx, N.Y. -
Thanks to a superb effort by the Fordham athletic facilities crew in clearing Houlihan Park of snow, the Fordham-Stony Brook series was able to get underway on Saturday with a single nine-inning game. Fans were then rewarded with a tightly fought contest, which saw the Seawolves edge the Rams, 3-2.
With the loss, Fordham drops to 6-4 on the year, while Stony Brook improved to 2-9.
The Seawolves opened the scoring in the second inning, courtesy of a Fordham error. With two outs, Steven Goldstein hit a pop up to the pitcher's mound but Fordham shortstop Joseph DeVito dropped the ball, continuing the inning. After an Austin Shives single moved Goldstein to second, Cole Peragine ripped a single to center, scoring Goldstein.
Stony Brook increased its lead to 3-0 in the fourth, taking advantage of a couple of hit-and-run situations. Parenty opened with a single and moved to third on a hit-and-run with Anthony Italiano. Goldstein then hit a fielder's choice to second, where Fordham tried to turn a double play, but Goldstein beat the return throw and allowed Parenty to score. Stony Brook put the runner in motion again on a single by Shives, putting runners at the corners with one out. Peragine then singled home his second run of the game, scoring Goldstein from third.
Seawolves starter Brandon McNitt kept the Rams in check into the sixth inning, retiring 11 straight Rams before a two-out double by Tim Swatek got Fordham a baserunner. Mike Mauri then hit a high chopper to second, which he beat out for an infield single. Swatek, running hard all the way on the chopper, was able to score to cut the deficit to 3-1.
Fordham got some strong bullpen work out of relievers Brett Kennedy and J.C. Porter to keep the game in striking distance. Kennedy tossed 1.2 innings of scoreless relief with two strikeouts, while Porter tossed four innings of two-hit relief with three strikeouts.
The score remained at 3-1 until the ninth, where Fordham tried to put together some late inning magic. Swatek started the inning with a four-pitch walk to bring the tying run to the plate. That walk ended the day for Stony Brook starter Brandon McNitt, who went eight-plus innings allowing just four hits, as the Seawolves brought in Tyler Honahan to close out the game.
After a pair of outs, an errant throw by Peragine at shortstop allowed Ryan Lee to reach base with Swatek moving to second. Joseph Runco followed with a single to left center, scoring Swatek and moving Lee to third. Ryan McNally was then hit by a pitch to load the bases for Rob McCunney, who came into the game in the top half of the inning for defense. Honahan though would get McCunney to strike out to give Stony Brook the 3-2 win.
Fordham starter Joseph Charest (1-2) took the loss, allowing two earned runs on eight hits in 3.1 innings of work. Offensively, Swatek was 2-for-3 with two runs scored, while Mauri and Runco each had a hit and an RBI.
The same two teams will face each other again on Sunday, as they play a doubleheader (two 7-inning games) at Houlihan Park, beginning at 1:00 PM.
