Bronx, N.Y. – (March 17, 2018) – After an exciting walk-off extra inning win in game one, the Fordham Rams came up short of a doubleheader sweep, dropping game two on Saturday to the Cornell Big Red in extra innings. Both games were 4-3 final scores in ten innings at Houlihan Park.
With the split, Fordham moves to 9-6-1 on the year, while Cornell is now 1-7.
In game one, Fordham opened the scoring with single runs in the second and third innings to take a 2-0 lead. In the second,
Justin Bardwell reached on an error, moved to second on a ground ball, and scored on a single by
Jake MacKenzie. Then in the third, Fordham took advantage of another error to net its second run. With a runner at second with one out,
Billy Godrick reached on a bunt single, where the throw went wide of first, allowing
C.J. Vazquez to score on the play.
Cornell responded with three runs in the top of the fourth, as Jason Apostle connected on a three-run home run to right for his first of the season.
The game remained that way until the eighth, when Fordham tied the game at three. The Rams loaded the bases on three straight singles by Vazquez,
Colton Snelling, and Godrick, and plated the tying run on a fielder's choice by
Alvin Melendez.
Neither team could scratch a run across in the ninth, pushing the contest into extra innings. After
Kyle Martin struck out the side in the top of the tenth, the Rams got the walk-off win in the bottom half of the inning. Melendez drew a leadoff walk, stole second, and moved to third on a ground ball. Bardwell then hit a grounder up the middle, which the shortstop had a tough play to stop and throw home, but it wasn't in time to get Melendez at the plate, giving Fordham the 4-3 win.
Martin (1-1) recorded the win, as he pitched a scoreless tenth inning in relief of
Ben Greenberg and
John Stankiewicz. Greenberg went the first five innings, allowing three runs with five strikeouts, while Stankiewicz was brilliant with four innings of one-hit relief. At the plate, Bardwell was 2-for-5 with an RBI and a run scored, while Vazquez was 2-for-4 with a pair of runs scored.
In game two, the two teams exchanged runs in the first inning with Fordham grabbing a 2-1 lead in the second. After Bardwell had an RBI-single in the first,
Brian Goulard had the RBI-single in the second for the Rams, scoring MacKenzie who reached on a double.
Jake MacKenzie
The Big Red then tied the game at two in the fifth, but Fordham answered with a run in the sixth for a 3-2 lead. With two outs, MacKenzie reached on an infield single that rolled right down the third base line and hit the base to be a fair ball. He stole second and then scored on a single by Goulard.
The score stayed that way until the ninth, when Cornell loaded the bases with two outs and got a walk to Apostle to force in the tying run. The Big Red then took a 4-3 lead in the tenth, as Ellis Bitar drew a one-out walk, moved to second on a passed ball, and scored on a single by Kyle Gallagher. The Rams would have a chance in the bottom half of the inning, as Godrick singled to lead off the frame, but he was thrown out trying to steal second, which was followed by a fly out and a ground out to end the game.
Matt Mikulski (1-2) was hooked with the loss, allowing one run on one hit and two walks.
Reiss Knehr started the game, allowing one run on six hits over four innings with seven strikeouts, while
Joseph Quintal tossed three innings of four-hit ball, giving up one run and striking out five. Offensively, MacKenzie was 3-for-4 with a double and two runs scored, with Goulard going 2-for-3 with two RBI. Godrick and
Colton Snelling also had two hits each in the game.
The rubber game of this series will take place on Sunday at noon.
