Photo GalleryThe old adage of pitching and defense wins baseball games was on display on Saturday at Houlihan Park. Fordham's
Brett Kennedy threw 8.1 innings of six-hit ball, while Fordham outfielders
Mark Donadio and
Ryan McNally made late inning diving catches, as the Rams posted a 2-1 win over the Davidson Wildcats.
With the win, Fordham improved to 11-20 overall, 3-5 in the Atlantic 10, while Davidson fell to 15-14 on the year, 5-6 in league play.
Fordham got on the board in the first inning with a single run.
Joseph Runco opened with a walk and was sacrificed to second by
Jason Lundy. Runco then stole third and scored on a wild pitch.
The Rams made it 2-0 in the third inning, again scoring off a walk. Lundy drew the leadoff walk and was sacrificed to second by
Matthew Kozuch. After a fly out,
Mark Donadio lined a single off the leaping glove of Davidson first baseman David Daniels into right field, scoring Lundy.
In addition to a four-hit day, Mark Donadio came up with not
one but two diving catches in the outfield. After giving up a single in each of the first two innings, Fordham starting pitcher
Brett Kennedy went on a run off retiring 12 straight batters into the sixth inning. In the sixth though, Daniels connected on a solo home run to right field, his fourth of the season, to close the gap to 2-1.
The score remained at 2-1 into the ninth inning, where Davidson tried to put together the tying rally. Lee Miller opened with a single to center, bringing Nathan Becker to the plate. Becker drove a shot to the left field corner that Fordham's
Ryan McNally made a diving catch to keep the runner at first base. Alec Acosta then drew a walk to put runners at first and second.
Kennedy exited after the walk in favor of reliever
Jimmy Murphy, who got Ben Arkin to ground into a 5-3 double play to end the game in favor of the Rams.
Kennedy earned his second win of the season, as he scattered six hits over 8.1 innings, allowing one run and striking out seven, while Murphy recorded his first save of the year.
At the plate, Donadio had his second career four-hit game, going 4-for-4 with an RBI, while Runco was 2-for-3 with a run scored and a stolen base.
The rubber game between Fordham and Davidson is set for noon on Sunday.
