Baseball Drops Rain Delayed Game to Sacred Heart

Sacred Heart's Zack Short went 3-for-5 with three runs scored, while Jake Friar and Victor Sorrento each drove in two runs, as the Pioneers topped the Fordham Rams, 6-4, at Houlihan Park on Saturday.
 
After waiting eight hours from the original start time, the Rams thought they got off to a good start in the first inning as leadoff hitter Mark Donadio laced a ball into the right center gap, reaching third base. 
 
However, an appeal was made to first base, where Donadio was called out for not touching first.  Joseph Runco then singled to center, but he was then picked off first base for the second out.  Fordham then had a third chance in the inning, loading the bases on a single, a hit by pitch, and a walk, but still could not score as the third out was recorded on a fielder's choice.
 
The scoring jinx was ended in the fourth, as Sacred Heart took the initial lead on a bases loaded  single by Victor Sorrento off Fordham pitcher Jimmy Murphy, allowing Zack Short to score from third.  Murphy would recover in the inning, getting a force out at home and then a double play ball to limit the damage to one run.
 
Fordham rebounded with two runs in the bottom of the frame.  Fordham loaded the bases for the second time in the game on singles by Joseph DeVito and Jason Lundy, as well as a walk to Runco.  Matthew Kozuch and Charles Galiano then drew back-to-back walks to force in two runs.
 
The Pioneers then struck for three runs in the sixth to take a 4-2 lead on a two-run single by Jake Friar and an RBI-single from Kenny Byram.
 
The Rams answered with a run in the bottom of the inning.  Runco drew a one-out walk and moved to third on a single by Galiano.  Ryan Mahoney then laced a double down the right field line to score Runco from third.  Ian Edmiston then drew a walk to load the bases for the third time, but once again the Rams could not cash in, as Ryan McNally struck out.
 
The Pioneers added two more runs in the seventh to extend the lead, before Fordham scored once in the seventh to cut the deficit back to two, 6-4.
 
The Rams however were unable to figure out Sacred Heart reliever Matt Cooney in his first collegiate appearance, as he struck out six over three innings of relief for his first save of the season.  Jesus Medina (1-0) got the win in relief, giving up one run over 2.1 innings of work.
 
Murphy (0-2) took the loss, allowing three runs on six hits over 5.1 innings of work.  Greg Weissert pitched 2.2 innings of relief, allowing three runs with five strikeouts, while Ben Greenberg threw a scoreless ninth inning.
 
At the plate, Fordham could not find the run-scoring hit, as the Rams left 17 men on base.  Lundy was the lone multi-hit game, going 2-for-5 with two runs scored, while Runco was 1-for-3 with three walks.
 
The Fordham baseball team is back in action on Sunday, March 15^th, against Delaware at approximately 3:30 PM, following the Delaware-Sacred Heart game at noon.