Richmond Takes Both Ends of Doubleheader from Fordham

Photo Gallery (Game 1) | Photo Gallery (Game 2)

The Fordham baseball team got off to a rough start to begin Atlantic 10 play on Saturday, dropping both ends of a doubleheader to the Richmond Spiders at Captains Park in Newport News, Virginia.
 
In game one, Richmond's Ryan Cook threw 6 2/3 innings of one-hit ball with eight strikeouts, while the Spiders put together 18 hits to record a 15-1 victory.
 
The game was scoreless into the third, when the Spiders put together an eight-run rally all with two outs.  The inning was highlighted by a two-run double by Tyler Beckwith and a two run-single from Kyle Adams.
 
The Spiders added to the lead with four runs in sixth and three in the seventh for a 15-0 lead.  Among those runs, Beckwith connected on a solo home run to left, while Matt Dacey hit a two-run home run around the right field foul pole.
 
Fordham was able to break up the shutout in the ninth, as Matthew Kozuch connected on a solo home run off the scoreboard in right field, his first of the season.
 
Fordham starting pitcher Brett Kennedy fell to 1-5 on the season, allowing eight runs on seven hits in 2.2 innings of work.
 
At the plate, Fordham managed just five hits in the game.  Besides Kozuch, Ian Edmiston, Charles Galiano, Pat Gardner, and Ryan Mahoney each had a single.
 
In game two, Jansen Fraser connected on the game-winning double to cap a three-run ninth inning to give Richmond a 9-8 win.
 
Fordham got on the board first in the second inning.  Ryan McNally connected on a two-out double to center and stole third.  Jason Lundy followed with a triple to the wall to score McNally.

 
Richmond then took a 2-1 lead in the third on a strange sequence, involving two appeals.   Brumbaugh led off with a walk and moved to second on a ground out.  He then moved to third on a fly ball.  The Rams tried to appeal, not once but twice to second for leaving early.  On the second attempt, Brumbaugh broke for home where in trying to get back to third, Galiano threw over Edmiston into left field, allowing Brumbaugh to score.  Then, Dacey hit a solo home run to right to give Richmond a 2-1 lead.
 
Fordham battled back to take the lead the sixth inning, scoring twice for a 3-2 edge.   With one on and one out, Galiano reached on an infield single with Kozuch moving all the way to third.  McNally then put down a bunt single to score Kozuch.   Lundy then came through with an RBI-single to score Galiano from second base.
 
The Rams added to their lead in the seventh, getting the big hit from Galiano.  With two outs, Fordham loaded the bases on singles by Edmiston and Donadio, as well as a walk to Kozuch.   Galiano then crushed a grand slam home run to center for his third home run of the season to give Fordham a 7-2 lead.
 
Richmond climbed back into the game in the bottom of the frame, collecting two RBI-singles from Beckwith and Michael Morman to go with an RBI-double by Dacey to make it a 7-5 game.
 
The Spiders closed within one in the eighth inning at 7-6, getting a sacrifice fly from Tanner Stanley to score Jansen Fraser from third.
 
Fordham got a run back in the ninth to regain a two-run edge at 8-6.  Edmiston was hit by a pitch with one out and moved to third on a hit and run with a single by Donadio.  Kozuch then singled to right to score Edmiston from third.
 
However, the Spiders had one final rally in the bottom of the ninth, as Morman walked and scored on a two-run home by Dacey, his third home run of the doubleheader, tying the game at eight.  After a pair of strikeouts by Fordham reliever Greg Weissert, Adams singled up the middle, which was followed by a double to right center by Fraser, scoring Adams for the walk-off win.
 
Weissert (1-3) took the loss in relief, allowing one run on two hits in the ninth.  Fordham starter Kirk Haynes, Jr. got the no-decision, allowing five runs on four hits in 6.2 innings of work.  Joseph Serrapica pitched 1.1 innings of relief, giving up three runs on five hits.
 
Offensively, Galiano was 2-for-5 with a home run, two runs scored, and four RBI, while Lundy was 2-for-3 with a triple and two RBI.  Donadio and McNally also had multi-hit games for the Rams, while Edmiston and Kozuch each had a hit and two runs scored.
 
The series finale between Fordham and Richmond is set for noon on Sunday.