Baseball Takes on George Washignton This Weekend

April 19, 2013

Bronx, N.Y. - The Fordham baseball team jumps back into conference play on Friday at 3:30 PM, as the Rams host George Washington in the start of a three-game Atlantic 10 series at Houlihan Park.

The Colonials hold a 15-11 edge in the all-time series, which dates back to 1952. Fordham has however won nine of the last 12 meetings since 2007.

SCOUTING GEORGE WASHINGTON: The Colonials are 12-24 on the season, with a 5-7 mark in league play. The team is batting .231 on the season with a 4.52 team ERA.

Offensively, Brookes Townsend leads the Colonials with a .286 batting average to go with 15 runs scored and 14 RBI, while Justin Albright is hitting .276 with 16 runs scored, seven doubles, and 12 stolen bases. Owen Beightol has a team-high 15 RBI to go with five doubles and two home runs.

On the hill, George Washington will throw the trio of RHP Aaron Weisburg, RHP Luke Staub, and LHP Max Kaplow. Weisburg is 3-4 with a 4.02 ERA in eight starts, while Staub is team leader in innings pitched (54.0) and strikeouts (35). Kaplow boasts the team's top ERA at 3.22 and opponent batting average at .214.

LAST TIME OUT: Siena's Mike Fish hit a three-run home run in the bottom of the tenth to break a 2-2 tie, as the Saints defeated the Fordham Rams, 5-2 in 10 innings at Siena Field in Loudonville, N.Y.

The game set up as a pitcher's duel over the first five innings between Siena's Bryan Goossens and Fordham's Cody Johnson. Both pitchers posted zeroes through the opening five frames with Goossens, allowing just two baserunners on a hit and a hit by pitch, while Johnson allowed just two hits and a walk with five strikeouts over that stretch.

The scoreless game was broken in the sixth, as Fordham (12-25) scored the opening run of the game. Joseph Runco legged out an infield single with two away and then stole second. Mike Mauri then drilled a double to the left center gap to score Runco.

Siena (14-21) bounced right back with two runs in the bottom of the sixth to grab the lead. The Saints got a double from Vincent Citro down the right field line that Sam Careccia's diving effort just missed. Andres Ortiz then lifted a fly ball to left that Ryan McNally dropped, putting runners at second and third. A wild pitch and a sacrifice fly by Mike Fish plated both runners for the 2-1 lead.

Fordham fought back in the eighth to knot the game up at two. Tim Swatek started the inning with a walk and was sacrificed to second by Runco. Mauri followed with a single to center to score Swatek and tie the game.

The game eventually headed to extra innings, where Fordham had a chance to go ahead in the top of the tenth with two on and two out, but Siena reliever Matt Quintana struck out Mauri to end the threat.

In the bottom of the frame, Siena got a two-out double by Citro, which ended reliever Rich Anastasi's afternoon at 3.2 innings of solid relief. Swatek came in for Anastasi to face Ortiz. Ortiz thought he ended the game on a two-run home run, but the home plate umpire called the ball foul. He later drew a walk, bringing Fish to the plate. Fish didn't miss his chance to end the game, as he kept his home run effort fair for a three-run home run to left, his sixth of the season.

For Fordham, Mauri was 2-for-5 with a double and two RBI, while Runco was 2-for-3 with a run scored.

UPCOMING GAMES: The Rams will face off against Columbia on Wednesday, April 24th, in a doubleheader, starting at 4:00 PM.

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