Baseball Heads to UMass for Important A-10 Series This Weekend

After their fourth straight Atlantic 10 series win, the Fordham baseball team finishes up an eight-game road swing this weekend, with a three-game Atlantic 10 series against the Massachusetts Minutemen in Amherst, Massachusetts.
 
Fordham (22-21, 8-4 A10) has won each of its first four conference series, taking two out of three games in each instance, marking the first time Fordham has accomplished that feat as a member of the Atlantic 10.  Massachusetts (11-19, 4-8 A10) is coming off a series win over La Salle, where the Minutemen took two of three games.
 
PROBABLE STARTERS/GAME COVERAGE:
 
Friday – RHP Kirk Haynes, Jr. (3-3, 3.29) vs. RHP Ryan Moloney (1-4, 3.30) // Twitter Feed - @FordhamBaseball | Live Stats | Live Video
 
Saturday - (G1) - RHP Greg Weissert (3-3, 3.31) vs. RHP Justin Lasko (3-1, 3.93) // Twitter Feed - @FordhamBaseball | Live Stats | Live Video
 
Saturday - (G2) - RHP Joseph Serrapica (2-4, 3.67) vs. RHP Brandon Walsh (2-0, 3.44) // Twitter Feed - @FordhamBaseball | Live Stats | Live Video
 
SERIES HISTORY: The Rams and Minutemen have played 51 games against each other since the Rams joined the Atlantic 10 in 1996, with UMass holding a 26-24-1 lead in the all-time series.  However, Fordham has closed the gap recently, winning five of the last six contests.  The Rams swept a three-game series in Amherst in 2013, while taking two of three games in the Bronx in 2014.
 
AROUND THE A-10: Here is a look around this week's Atlantic 10 match-ups:
- Fordham at Massachusetts
- Rhode Island at Saint Joseph's
- VCU at George Washington
- Richmond at George Mason
- La Salle at St. Bonaventure
- Davidson at Saint Louis
- Dayton at Wofford

LAST TIME OUT: Despite a career-best four RBI from Ryan Mahoney and five strikeouts on the hill by Reiss Knehr, the Fordham Rams fell to the Manhattan Jaspers, 7-5, in baseball action at Duchess County Stadium in Fishkill, N.Y.
 
With the loss, Fordham falls to 22-21 on the year, while Manhattan improved to 13-24.
 
Manhattan opened the scoring with a run in the first inning.  Jose Carrera reached on an infield single, stole second and scored on a single by Christian Santisteban.
 
The Jaspers added two more in the second for a 3-0 edge, as Ryan Gronlier picked up an RBI-single to left, while Richie Barella drew a bases loaded walk to force in a run.
 
Fordham tied the game in the bottom of the third, scoring three times.  The Rams loaded the bases on singles by Joseph DeVito and Joseph Runco and a walk to Mark Donadio.  DeVito then scored on a passed ball with Runco and Donadio scoring on a two-run single by Ryan Mahoney.
 
The Rams then took a 5-3 lead in the top of the fifth.  Fordham loaded the bases once again this time with one out on two walks and a hit by pitch.  Mahoney then delivered another two-run single to right, scoring Matthew Kozuch and Ryan McNally.
 
The Jaspers cut the lead to 5-4 in the seventh, as Chris Reynolds drew a leadoff walk and scored on a double from Santisteban.
 
Manhattan then regained the lead with a three-run eighth inning to go up 7-5 on an RBI-single by Gronlier and a two-run single by Reynolds.

 
The Rams would get the tying run to the plate in the ninth, but was unable to score against Manhattan reliever Shawn Kanwisher, as he earned his sixth win of the season, pitching 1.1 innings of scoreless relief.
 
Anthony DiMeglio (3-3) took the loss, allowing three runs on four hits in an inning of work.  Ryan Remo got the start, allowing three runs on five hits in two innings of work, while Reiss Knehr threw the next three innings, giving up just one hit with five strikeouts.  Anthony Zimmerman tossed a scoreless inning in the sixth with Parker Barnell allowing one run on one hit in his inning of work in the seventh.
 
At the plate, Mahoney was 2-for-4 with a career-high four RBI, while Runco and DeVito each had a pair of hits and a run scored.  Donadio finished 1-for-2 with a triple, a run scored and two walks.
 
WE'RE GOING STREAKIN': Graduate student Ryan McNally has a .292 batting average in the month of April (19-65) with 17 runs scored, six doubles, four home runs, and 17 RBI… Freshman Justin Bardwell is batting .310 (18-58) in April with four doubles and eight RBI… Junior Mark Donadio is hitting .309 (21-68) in April with 11 runs scored and 14 RBI… Junior Ryan Mahoney is batting .344 in the month of April (11-32) with five runs scored and six RBI… Senior Joseph Serrapica is 1-0 with a save and a 1.33 ERA in his last six outings, posting 25 strikeouts in 20.1 innings… Senior Jimmy Murphy has a 1-1 record with four saves and 0.56 ERA in 16.0 innings with 13 strikeouts… Junior Greg Weissert is 3-0 with a 2.13 ERA in his last four starts with 27 strikeouts in 25.1 innings… Freshman Reiss Knehr has a 0.00 ERA in his last nine appearances, recording a win and 17 strikeouts in 17.2 innings of work.
 
WHO'S NEXT: The Rams return home to Houlihan Park next weekend, May 6-8, as Fordham hosts George Washington for a crucial Atlantic 10 series.  The first game of the series will be Little League Night, where little leaguers and youth baseball teams are invited to attend.