Bronx, N.Y. - After being suspended in the top of the seventh inning on Saturday, the Fordham Rams still needed more time to put away the Richmond Spiders in game two of their Atlantic 10 series. It wasn't until the bottom of the 12th inning, when Ryan Lee singled home Ian Edmiston to give Fordham a 2-1 walk-off win over the Spiders. In the series finale, Richmond earned a 6-2 win to capture the series.
In the resumed game, both teams had multiple chances to go ahead but Fordham reliever Brett Kennedy and Richmond reliever Zach Grossfeld held both offenses at bay. Kennedy, who came in right before the game was suspended on Saturday, pitched five shutout innings of relief, allowing two hits and two walks, while striking out five. Grossfeld tossed 4.1 innings of five-hit relief without allowing a run.
Then in the bottom of the 12th inning, Fordham finally broke the tie, as with two outs, Ian Edmiston doubled to right field, while Joseph Runco was hit by a pitch. Senior Ryan Lee, playing in just his second game after returning from injury, followed with a single to center, scoring Edmiston for the walk-off win.
Fordham reliever Rich Anastasi (3-4) earned the win after pitching a scoreless 12th inning. At the plate, Runco finished 3-for-5 with a run scored, while Rob McCunney and Edmiston each had a pair of hits.
In the series finale, Richmond's Jared Mayers tossed a complete game five-hitter, as the Spiders captured the rubber game of the series, 6-2, over the Rams.
Richmond (30-19, 13-8) took control in the first inning, scoring three times, as the Spiders received a two-run double from Mayers and an RBI-single by Tyler Beckwith.
Mayers gave back a run to Fordham (20-32, 6-15) in the bottom of the frame, as the Rams took advantage of a failed pickoff attempt. Runco started the frame with a single to right, extending his season-long hit streak to 11 games. Mayers then threw away a pickoff attempt, allowing Runco to advance to third base. Lee followed with an RBI-ground out, scoring Runco from third.
Richmond added to the lead in the third, as Mayers again helped his own cause, as he and Adam Forrer connected for back-to-back triples to score the Spiders' fourth run of the game. Bret Williams continued the frame with a double to center to score Forrer for a 5-1 lead.
The Rams pulled within 5-2 as Fordham once again took advantage of a failed pickoff attempt by Mayers. This time, Mike Mauri singled to center and then moved to third on a failed pickoff attempt by Mayers. Charles Galiano rallied a single through the right side to score Mauri from third.
Despite a season-high six ground ball double plays by the Rams, the offense could not muster anything more against Mayers, as he improved to 3-1 on the year with a complete game, five-hitter without allowing an earned run.
For Fordham, starter Jimmy Murphy (0-4) took the loss, allowing five runs on eight hits in 2.1 innings of work. Reliever J.C. Porter pitched well, giving up only one run over 5.2 innings of work on six hits. Cody Johnson wrapped up the Fordham pitching effort with a scoreless eighth inning with two strikeouts.
At the plate, Runco was 3-for-4 with a run scored, while Mauri and Galiano had the remaining hits for Fordham.
The Fordham baseball team will next be in action on Thursday, May 16th, as the Rams host St. Bonaventure for an Atlantic 10 doubleheader at noon.
