Baseball Meets NJIT in Four-Game Set This Weekend

The Fordham baseball team takes part in its final non-conference series before the start of Atlantic 10 action next week, when the Rams (8-12) play the NJIT Highlanders (7-12) in a four-game series.  Each team will host a doubleheader with Friday at 2:00 PM at Riverfront Stadium in Newark, N.J. and Saturday at noon at Houlihan Park.
 
PROBABLE STARTERS/GAME COVERAGE:
Friday (two 7-inning games)
Game 1 – Fordham - RHP Ben Greenberg (3-1, 1.59) vs. LHP Ian Bentley (2-3, 4.97) // Twitter Feed - @FordhamBaseball | Live Stats
Game 2 – Fordham – RHP Greg Weissert (0-2, 4.12) vs. RHP Sean Lubreski (3-2, 3.68) // Twitter Feed - @FordhamBaseball | Live Stats
 
Saturday (9-inning game followed by 7-inning game)
Game 1 – Fordham – RHP Kirk Haynes, Jr. (1-1, 2.66) vs. TBA) // Twitter Feed - @FordhamBaseball | Live Stats
Game 2 – Fordham – RHP Joseph Serrapica (0-4, 6.08) vs. TBA// Twitter Feed - @FordhamBaseball | Live Stats
 
SERIES HISTORY: The Rams and Highlanders have met five times previously with Fordham taking all five match-ups.  The teams matched-up first in 2007 and last met in 2013, which was an 8-3 win for the Rams at Houlihan Park.
 
LAST TIME OUT:  NYIT's Louis Mele connected on a two-run double in the bottom of the seventh, while Chris Johnson tossed 2.2 innings of scoreless relief, as the Bears edged out the Fordham Rams, 5-4, at Angelo Lorenzo Field in Old Westbury, N.Y.
 
NYIT opened the scoring in the second inning, as Robert Fiato doubled to left and scored on a double by Jake Lebel.  Fordham tied the game right away in the third inning.  Jason Lundy hit a one-out triple down the right field line and then scored on a ground out by Joseph Runco.
 
The Bears answered with a run of their own in the bottom of the frame on an RBI-single by Thomas Joannou, scoring Frank Sanacore from third.

The Rams then grabbed their first lead of the game in the top of the fifth at 3-2.  Luke Stampfl singled to right center to start the inning and advanced to second on a passed ball.  Joseph DeVito was hit by pitch to put runners at first and second.  After a sacrifice bunt, Runco delivered a two-run single, scoring both runners.
 
NYIT didn't allow the lead to last long, scoring a run in the bottom of the fifth on a fielder's choice to knot the game at three.
 
Fordham regained the lead in the top of the seventh as Runco answered the bell once again.  Fordham loaded the bases on an error, a walk, and a Lundy single, which was followed by an RBI-single to left by Runco for his career-high fourth RBI of the day.
 
NYIT replied with two runs in the bottom of the inning to take the 5-4 lead that they would not relinquish.  With two outs, and runners at first and second, Louis Mele doubled to the right field wall, scoring both Matthew DeAngelis and Joannou.
 
For Fordham, Anthony DiMeglio (1-1) was hooked with the loss relief, allowing two runs on two hits and a walk.  A total of nine pitchers saw action for the Rams on Wednesday.  At the plate, Runco was 2-for-5 with a career-high four RBI, while Lundy was 2-for-3 with a triple and a run scored.
 
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 is next in action on Tuesday, March 29^th, when the Rams travel to Albany for a 3:00 PM game before hosting Richmond to open Atlantic 10 play, April 1-3, at Houlihan Park.