Valiant Effort By Baseball Comes Up Short at LSU

The never say die attitude of the Fordham baseball team was in full force on Saturday.  Though the Rams had lost two lopsided affairs, Fordham scratched and clawed its way to a 7-3 lead in the final game of their series with nationally-ranked LSU.  However, a seven-run outburst in the bottom of the seventh gave the Tigers just enough to complete the sweep of the Rams at Alex Box Stadium in Baton Rouge, Louisana.
 
Fordham is now 3-7 on the season, while LSU improved to 9-2.
 
In game one, LSU's John Valek allowed one run on three hits over five innings, while six different Tigers had two RBI apiece in a 15-1 game one win on Saturday.
 
The Tigers wasted little time, getting out to a 6-0 lead by the second inning.  After a Beau Jordan RBI-double in the first, LSU got a solo home run from Jordan Romero, a two-run single by Kramer Robertson and a two-run home to center by Jake Fraley to open up a 6-0 edge.
 
Fordham got on the board in the fourth with a single run.  Ryan McNally opened the frame with a double to center, and moved to third on a groundout.  After a strikeout, Justin Bardwell drove in McNally with a single up the middle.
 
LSU then took full control of the game, scoring multiple runs in the fifth through eighth innings to open up a 15-1 lead, which included an inside-the-park home run by Chris Reid in the seventh inning.
 
Fordham managed just three hits in the game with Jason Lundy having the final base hit, which came in the fifth.  The LSU bullpen shut down the Fordham offense, throwing a combined four innings of hitless relief with four total strikeouts.
 
On the mound for Fordham, Joseph Serrapica (0-3) got hooked with the loss, allowing six runs on seven hits over four innings, while Ryan Davis, Moshup Galbraith, Ryan Remo, and Anthony Zimmerman pitched out of the bullpen.
 
In game two, LSU once again got off to a quick start, picking up two-runs in the first and one in the second for a 3-0 lead.
 
Fordham then scored in the third, as a single and a couple of walks loaded the bases with two outs.  Joseph DeVito later scored on a wild pitch.
 
The Rams grabbed their first lead of the series in the top of the fifth, scoring three times for a 4-3 lead.  DeVito started things with a single up the middle and was sacrificed to second.  After a walk and a ground out put runners at second and third, McNally extended his hit streak to 10 games with a two-run single up the middle, tying the game at three.  Following a single by Matthew Kozuch, Mark Donadio singled home McNally for the 4-3 lead.

 
Fordham added to their lead with two runs in the sixth and one in the seventh for a 7-3 lead.  In the sixth inning, the Rams got runs on an RBI-single from Lundy, as well as one on an error.  Later in the seventh inning, it was Luke Stampfl with the RBI-single to score Kozuch from third.
 
The Rams were looking good  to get out of the seventh without damage as LSU had a runner at third with two outs.  The Tigers ended up scoring seven runs in the inning for a 10-7 lead.  The biggest of the run-scoring plays was a bases loaded double by Robertson, which tied the game at seven.  Later, Fraley, Antoine Duplantis, and Jordan picked up run-scoring hits to put the Tigers.
 
Fordham would not give up though, getting the tying run to the plate in the ninth inning.  Donadio started the ninth inning with a single, but was erased on a fielder's choice by Bardwell.  After pinch-runner Pat Gardner came on for Bardwell, Stampfl laced his third hit of the game to center, bringing the tying run to the plate.  However, DeVito grounded into a double play to end the game.
 
For Fordham, Stampfl was 3-for-5 with an RBI, while DeVito was 2-for-4 with two runs scored.  Kozuch and Donadio also had two hits each with Lundy going 1-for-3 with two runs scored and an RBI.
 
On the hill, David Manasek (0-1) got the loss in relief, allowing three runs on two hits.  Starter Jimmy Murphy lasted just two innings, allowing three runs on four hits, while Ben Greenberg tossed two innings of three-hit relief.  Kirk Haynes, Jr. followed Greenberg, allowing two runs on three this with four walks.  Anthony DiMeglio closed out the Fordham pitching performance, giving up two runs on three hits in 1.1 innings of work.
 
The Fordham baseball team returns to the Bronx for its home opener on Tuesday, March 8^th, when Fordham hosts Manhattan at Houlihan Park, beginning at 3:00 PM.