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Bronx, N.Y. – Dayton's Austin Cline tossed 8.1 innings, allowing one unearned run, while Nick Weybright had a two-run triple in the fourth inning, as the Flyers spoiled Senior Day for the Fordham Rams, winning the regular season finale at Houlihan Park by a 2-1 score on Friday afternoon.
With the loss, Fordham finishes the regular season at 28-27 overall, 14-10 in the Atlantic 10, while Dayton ends the year at 19-36, 8-16 in the conference.
It was a straight up pitcher's duel in the regular season finale for both teams, as they combined for just three runs and 11 hits in the game.
Dayton scored twice in the top of the fourth inning with a two-out rally. After a single and a walk, Nick Weybright hit a shot to right center, that Fordham's
Mark Donadio dove for but could not come up with. Two runners came in to score on the play with Weybright ending up at third with a triple.
Fordham closed the gap to 2-1 in the bottom of the eighth, as the Rams took advantage of a Dayton error.
Joseph DeVito reached base on a throwing error with two outs and moved to third on a double by
Joseph Runco. DeVito then scored on a wild pitch.
Mark Donadio had three hits on Friday afternoon.
The Rams got the tying run on base in the ninth inning, when Donadio singled to left with one out. However, Dayton's Kevin Piersol got the final two outs for his fourth save of the season to close out the 2-1 game.
Fordham's
Kirk Haynes, Jr. (3-6) was the hard luck loser, allowing two runs on five hits over four innings of work. Reliever
Jimmy Murphy finished the game, pitching the final five innings without allowing a hit and tied a season-high with seven strikeouts. At the plate, Donadio was 3-for-4 in the game, while Runco,
Justin Bardwell and
Ian Edmiston split up the final three hits for the Rams.
Fordham now waits to see who they will play in the opening round of the Atlantic 10 Championship on Wednesday, May 25
th.
