Baseball Hosts Manhattan in Home Opener on Tuesday

Following its weekend series in Baton Rouge, the Fordham baseball team comes home to Houlihan Park to start a four-game homestand on Tuesday, when the Rams host Manhattan College for the 2016 home opener.
 
Probable Starters/Game Coverage:
Fordham - RHP Ben Greenberg (2-0, 1.54) vs. Manhattan - RHP Ryan Takacs (0-1, 12.60) // Twitter Feed - @FordhamBaseball | Live Stats | Live Video | Live Audio
 
Series History:  Tuesday's game will be the 113^th edition of the Battle of the Bronx since a 1923 match-up at Yankee Stadium.  Fordham holds a 78-31-3 leads in the series since that game, which includes a split of two games last season.  Each squad won its home contest, as the Rams topped the Jaspers, 6-1, at Houlihan Park, while Manhattan pulled off a 14-13 win over Fordham in Fishkill, N.Y.
 
Last Time Out:  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, winning the series finale, 10-7, at Alex Box Stadium in Baton Rouge, Louisana.
 
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, Ryan 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 Jason 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 Kramer Robertson, which tied the game at seven.  Later, Jake Fraley, Antoine Duplantis, and Beau 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 Justin 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.
 
Fordham's Houlihan Park to Host 2016 Atlantic 10 Championship:  For the third time, Fordham University's Houlihan Park will play host to the Atlantic 10 Championship at the end of this season.  The Rams' home ballpark also hosted the Championship in 2006 and 2012.  The seven-team tournament will be held, May 25-28.  For more information on the tournament, visit Atlantic10.com.
 
The Doctor Is In:  Graduate student outfielder Ryan McNally has had a fantastic start to his final year at Fordham.  He has hit safely in each of the Rams' ten games this season for a career-long hit streak.  The Rams' starting left fielder is hitting a team-best .364 with nine runs scored, two doubles, two home runs, 10 RBI, and four stolen bases.
 
Who's Next:  The Rams continue their homestand on Friday, March 11^th against Villanova at 3:00 PM.