Spartansburg, S.C. – (February 18, 2018) – With a travel time limit on the game, the Fordham baseball team played to a 4-4 tie with the USC Upstate Spartans at Harley Park in Spartansburg, S.C.
Fordham is now 1-1-1 on the season, while USC Upstate is 1-2-1. It is Fordham's first tie since May 2011 against Massaschusetts.
Fordham got off to another quick start scoring three times in the second inning for a 3-0 lead. The inning opened with back-to-back singles by
Jake MacKenzie and
Nick Labella to put runners at the corners.
Justin Bardwell then laid down a squeeze bunt that the pitcher fielded and threw wide of home, allowing MacKenzie to score.
Jake Baker followed with a two-run triple to right for a three-run lead.
The Spartans got a run back in the third to make it 3-1, but the score stayed that way through the relief pitching efforts of Fordham's Brian Weeisert. He threw four innings of one-hit relief with three strikeouts.
The Rams added a run in the seventh to go up, 4-1. Baker led off with a single, stole second ,a nd moved to third on an overthrow. He later scored on a ground out by
Billy Godrick.
USC Upstate answered with a run in the bottom of the eighth and got the tying run on base, but
Kyle Martin got a strikeout and a ground out to keep Fordham ahead, 4-2.
Brian Weissert
In the ninth, the Spartans had a late-inning rally as Russ Schwertfeger connected on an RBI-triple to pull USC Upstate within one at 4-3. After a strikeout,
Alvin Melendez came in to pitch for
John Stankiewicz with the runner still at third. A 2-2 pitch would get past Bardwell for a passed ball allowing the tying run to score. The Spartans then got the go-ahead run on base, but a pair of fly outs to right ended the inning, forcing extra innings.
Both teams had a runner get on base in the tenth but neither squad could put across the winning run, concluding the game in a 4-4 tie after ten innings.
For Fordham, Baker has his first career four-hit game, going 4-for-5 with a triple and two RBI, while Bardwell was 2-for-5 with a run scored.
On the mound,
Mike Cowell threw the first three innings, allowing one run on four hits with three strikeouts, while
Brian Weissert tossed four innings of one-hit relief with three strikeouts to highlight the Rams hurlers.
Following the conclusion of the weekend, Baker and Melendez were named to the All-Tournament Team.
The Rams are next in action on Wednesday, February 21
st, when the Rams have their home opener against Army West Point at Houlihan Park, beginning at 3:00 PM.
Wofford/USC Upstate Round Robin All-Tournament Team
SP – Justin Lewis, UK
SP – Kevin Hickey, Upstate
SP – Grant Byers, Wofford
RP – Alvin Melendez, Fordham
Pat Meehan, Dayton
Tristan Pompey, UK
Brandon Smith, Dayton
Riley Tirotta, Dayton
Ben Aklinski, UK
Jake Baker, Fordham
Mack Nathanson, Wofford
Troy Squires, UK
Troy Beilsmith, Evansville
