Davidson, N.C. – Fordham relief pitcher
Jimmy Murphy held off a valiant comeback effort by the Davidson Wildcats, pitching two scoreless innings of relief, as the Rams closed out a 7-4 win at Wilson Field on Sunday.
With the win, Fordham improved to 22-20 on the season, 8-4 in the Atlantic 10, while Davidson fell to 21-19 on the season, 8-7 in the league. It also marked the first time that Fordham has won its first four Atlantic 10 series, since joining the league in 1996.
For the third straight game, Davidson got the opening run of the game, going up 1-0 in the first inning on an RBI-ground out by Lee Miller, scoring Jake Sidwell, who reached on a single.
Fordham answered with two runs in the second for a 2-1 edge.
Justin Bardwell was hit by a pitch to start the inning and
Mark Donadio reached on an error. After a sacrifice bunt,
Ian Edmiston lined a single to left to score Bardwell. Donadio then scored a safety squeeze bunt by
Joseph DeVito.
The score remained that way until the fifth, when Davidson knotted the game at two. Sidwell drew a walk and moved to third on a single by Sam Foy. After a pitching change, Miller singled up the middle to score Sidwell from third.
The Rams regained the lead in the top of the sixth with a four-run rally and a 6-2 edge. DeVito opened with a single through the left side and
Joseph Runco reached on a bunt single.
Ryan McNally then connected on a three-run home run to left, his team-leading ninth of the season.
Matthew Kozuch, who made his return to the Rams' lineup yesterday, continued the inning with his career-high fourth hit of the game and was sacrificed to second by
Luke Stampfl. Bardwell followed with a single up the middle to score Kozuch from second.
Jimmy Murphy recorded his fourth save of the season on Sunday.
Fordham extended the lead to 7-2 in the eighth, as Runco walked, stole second, moved to third on a ground ball, and scored on a sacrifice fly by Kozuch. The stolen base was the 85
th of Runco's career, moving him into a tie with Danny Leach (2005-09) for third on Fordham's all-time list.
Davidson then rallied for two runs in the bottom of the eighth, scoring runs on a wild pitch and a double by Sidwell. Fordham reliever
Jimmy Murphy then came in from the bullpen, and immediately caught a line drive and doubled off the runner at second base for a double play. Later, a line drive hit Murphy in the leg, but he still managed to make the throw to first and end the inning.
Murphy then closed out the game with two fly outs and a ground out to clinch the win for Fordham.
For Fordham,
Reiss Knehr (1-0) earned his first collegiate win in relief, allowing two hits and two walks over 1.2 innings of work. Murphy recorded his fourth save of the season with two innings of one-hit relief. Starter
Joseph Serrapica went the first 4.1 innings, allowing one earned run on five hits with four strikeouts.
At the plate, Kozuch was a career-best 4-for-4 with a run scored and an RBI, while Bardwell was 3-for-4 with a run scored and an RBI. Runco added two runs scored and a stolen base with McNally having a home run and three RBI.
The Fordham baseball team will next be in action on Tuesday, March 26
th, when the Rams take on Manhattan at Duchess County Stadium in Fishkill, N.Y., beginning at 6:30 PM.
