Baseball Takes on NYIT in Mid-Week Match-Up on Wednesday

Following a doubleheader sweep of Wagner on Saturday, the Fordham baseball team is back in action on Wednesday afternoon, when the Rams travel to Old Westbury to meet the NYIT Bears at 3:30 PM.
 
PROBABLE STARTERS/GAME COVERAGE:
Fordham - RHP Luke Stampfl (0-0, 9.00) vs. NYIT - RHP Matt Diaz (1-1, 4.15) // Twitter Feed - @FordhamBaseball | Live Stats | Live Video
 
SERIES HISTORY:  Fordham and NYIT have an extensive series history, dating back to 1974.  The Rams hold a 36-32-2 series edge, which includes win in each of the last seven meetings. Last season, Fordham swept a doubleheader from the Bears at Houlihan Park by scores of 3-2 in seven innings, and 11-5 in nine innings.
 
LAST TIME OUT:  After a dropping a tight affair to Wagner on Friday, the Fordham baseball team returned the favor on Saturday, topping the Seahawks in two extra-inning affairs, 6-5 in eight innings and 4-3 in 11 innings, at the Richmond County Ballpark on Staten Island.
 
In game one with the game tied at five after seven innings, Ryan McNally put Fordham back on top, as he took the first pitch from reliever Cory Heitler deep to right center.  The ball went off the outstretched glove of centerfielder Trey Nicosia for a triple with Nicosia crashing face first into the wall.  The throw in to third got away from the third baseman Sean Mazzio and McNally took off for home.  Mazzio's throw however was errant, allowing McNally to score.
 
Wagner tried to tie the game in the bottom of the eighth, getting the tying run on base with a two-out single, but Anthony DiMeglio was able to get the final out and close out the 6-5 win.
 
DiMeglio (1-0) earned his first career win, allowing one hit over 1.1 innings of relief with a strikeout.  Starter Jimmy Murphy got a no-decision as he went the first 6.2 innings, allowing three earned runs on eight hits with five strikeouts. At the plate, McNally was a home run short of the cycle, going 3-for-4 with a double, a triple, two runs scored, and two RBI.
 
In game two, Fordham would rally in the eighth inning to tie the game at three after being down 3-2.  With one out, Justin Bardwell tripled down the right field line, and after a strikeout, Jason Lundy hit a ground ball to shortstop, which went right through the legs of Nick Mascelli, allowing Bardwell to score.

 
For the second time on the day, the game headed into extra innings, when in the 11^th inning, Fordham took a 4-3 lead.  Joseph Runco laced a one-out double to right center, while Ian Edmiston drew a walk.  Following a pitching change, Runco and Edmiston pulled off a double steal to put runners at second and third.  Reliever Paul Mammino would strike out Matthew Kozuch, but he would walk McNally.  The final pitch to McNally was in the dirt and went to the backstop, allowing Runco to score from third on a wild pitch.
 
Reliever Kirk Haynes, Jr. then finished off a masterful performance with a perfect bottom half of the inning to earn his first win of the season.   Haynes allowed just one hit and one walk over seven innings of relief with seven strikeouts.  Starter Joseph Serrapica went four-plus innings, allowing three runs on four hits and four walks with five strikeouts.  At the plate, Runco was 2-for-6 with two doubles, a stolen base, and a run scored, while Bardwell was 2-for-4 with a triple and an RBI.
 
HAYNES NAMED A-10 CO-PITCHER OF THE WEEK:  The Atlantic 10 Conference announces it weekly baseball awards on Monday, and Fordham junior pitcher Kirk Haynes, Jr. was selected as the conference co-Pitcher of the Week, sharing the honor with La Salle's Jordan Meyer.  This is the first career weekly award for Haynes.
 
Haynes was stellar in two appearances for the Rams this week. He was 1-0 with a 0.69 ERA, allowing just one run over 13 innings with 14 total strikeouts.  He began with a no-decision against Sacred Heart on Tuesday, giving up just one run on five hits with seven strikeouts over six innings. Following that performance, he earned a win at Wagner in extra innings on Saturday, as he pitched seven innings of relief, allowing just one hit and one walk with seven strikeouts.
 
To date, Haynes has a 1-0 record with one save and a 2.66 ERA in 23.2 innings pitched.  He has 20 strikeouts on the season and is holding batters to a .183 batting average.
 
WHO'S NEXT:  Fordham begins a four-game series with the NJIT Highlanders on Friday, March 25^th with a doubleheader at noon in Newark, N.J.