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The Fordham Rams' team speed was on display at Houlihan Park on Sunday against the Sacred Heart Pioneers. Fordham registered seven stolen bases and used a bases clearing triple by
Luke Stampfl to defeat Sacred Heart, 7-6.
With the win, Fordham improved to 6-8 on the year, while the Pioneers fell to 5-7.
After the Pioneers opened with a 2-0 lead with single runs in the third and fourth inning, Fordham exploded for a five-run fourth inning to lead 5-2.
Rob McCunney led off with a single to left and stole second. After a balk moved McCunney to third,
Tim Swatek helped his own cause with an RBI-single to center.
Charles Galiano was then hit by a pitch, while
Ryan McNally reached base on an error to load the bases for the Rams.
Following a pair of strikeouts,
Luke Stampfl delivered a three-run triple to right center, giving Fordham a 4-2 lead. Fordham tacked on another run later in the frame on an error to lead 5-2.
Sacred Heart responded with two runs in the fifth on RBI-singles by Ted Shaw and Zack Short to pull within one, 5-4.
The Rams got one of those runs back in the sixth, as
Matthew Kozuch was hit by a pitch, sacrificed to second, and scored on a single by Runco.
The Pioneers though knotted the game at six in the top of the seventh, scoring a run on a drop third strike play and an RBI-single by Jayson Sullivan.
Fordham would not be denied, regaining the lead in the bottom of the frame. Swatek started the inning with a single to left. Galiano then put down a perfect sacrifice, which Swatek used some heads up baserunning to reach third base on the play. McNally then placed a perfect squeeze bunt toward first, allowing Swatek to slide in safely for the go-ahead run.
That run sealed the win for the Rams, as reliever
Greg Weissert pitched two scoreless innings to record his third save of the season. Swatek (2-1) earned the win, as he pitched seven innings with a career-high six strikeouts.
At the plate, Swatek was 2-for-4 with two runs scored, an RBI, and a stolen base, while McCunney was 2-for-5 with two stolen bases and a run scored. Stampfl finished 1-for-4 with a triple and three RBI.
The Fordham baseball team is back in action on Tuesday, March 18
th, when the Rams host Quinnipiac at 3:30 PM.
