Baseball Hosts Richmond in Final A-10 Series

Game Notes

Bronx, N.Y. – (May 16, 2018) – The Fordham baseball team wraps up its regular season this week, as the Rams host the Richmond Spiders at Houlihan Park, starting on Thursday with a noon doubleheader.  This is a change from the original schedule.  The final game of the series is set for Friday at noon, weather permitting.
 
With an eye toward the Atlantic 10 playoffs next week, Fordham (33-15-1, 15-6 A-10) enters this weekend, having already clinched a spot in the conference championship, following a series sweep at UMass this past weekend.  The Rams are currently in second place in the conference standings, but that could change depending on this week's results.  The situation is slightly different for Richmond (28-21, 13-8) as they still need a win to secure their spot at the Atlantic 10 Championship, which will be held, May 23-26, George Washington's Tucker Field at Barcroft Park in Arlington, Virginia.
 
Probable Starters/Game Coverage
Thursday – Game 1 - Fordham – RHP Reiss Knehr (5-3, 2.57) vs. Richmond – RHP Collin Lowe (2-1, 2.68) // Live Video | Live Stats | Twitter - @FordhamBaseball
 
Thursday – Game 2 – Fordham – RHP Ben Greenberg (6-1, 2.27) vs. Richmond – TBA () // Live Video | Live Stats | Twitter - @FordhamBaseball
 
Friday – Fordham – TBA () vs. Richmond – TBA () // Live Video | Live Stats | Twitter - @FordhamBaseball
 
Series History
Fordham and Richmond have met 34 times with the vast majority of them being as members of the Atlantic 10 Conference.  Richmond holds the all-time lead in the series at 19-15.  The last meeting came in 2016 when Fordham took two of three games at Houlihan Park.  Prior to that series, the Spiders were the dominant force in the series, winning eight of nine games over the Rams from 2012-15.
 
Last Time Out
After staying inside on Saturday due to weather, the Fordham bats were ready to go on Sunday afternoon at Earl Lorden Field.  Fordham's Nick Labella hit a pair of home runs, while Brian Goulard drove in three, as the Rams held off a late UMass rally to complete a three-game sweep of the Minutemen, 10-8.  The win was Fordham's fifth straight overall and eighth consecutive conference road win.  It also clinched a playoff spot for the Rams at the 2018 Atlantic 10 Championship, which will be in Arlington, Virginia, May 23-26.
 
Fordham got out of the gates early, scoring three times in the first inning for a 3-0 edge.  With two outs and runners at first and second, Brian Goulard and Matt Tarabek connected on back-to-back RBI-singles for a 2-0 edge.  After a walk loaded the bases, Nick Labella drew another walk to force in another run and a three-run lead.  The Rams made it 4-0 in the second, as Alvin Melendez ripped an RBI-double to left center, scoring Billy Godrick, who was hit by a pitch.
 
Fordham continued to add to its lead with two runs in the third for a 6-0 advantage.  Nick Labella connected on a solo home run to center for his second of the season, while Jake MacKenzie singled home Godrick from second, after he reached on an error and stole second.
 
The score stayed that way until the sixth, when UMass netted a pair of runs on an RBI-single by Cooper Mrowka and a sacrifice fly by Nolan Kessinger, making it a 6-2 ballgame.
 
Fordham got one of those run back in the sixth, as Melendez singled and moved to third on a double by Justin Bardwell.  Goulard hit a ground ball up the middle, which could not be fielded, allowing Melendez to score to make it, 7-2.  Goulard then picked up his third RBI of the game, as he singled home Melendez in the eighth for an 8-2 lead.  Labella made it 10-2 in the ninth, as he hit his second home run of the game, this time a two-run blast to left.
 
The Minutemen did not make it easy in the bottom of ninth, scoring six times and getting the winning run to the plate.  However, Kyle Martin struck out Matt Hosman to end the game for his tenth save of the season, becoming just the third Ram ever to reach double-digit saves, joining Bobby Aylmer (13 – 1988) and Chris Kaible (10 – 2008) in that exclusive group.
 
Anthony DiMeglio improved to 8-1 on the year, allowing two runs over the first five innings with six strikeouts.  At the plate, Labella was 3-for-3 with two home runs, two walks, two runs scored, and four RBI, while Goulard was 2-for-5 with three RBI.  Melendez also had a big day, going 3-for-6 with a double, two runs scored, two stolen bases, and an RBI.

 
Knehr Named Atlantic 10 Co-Pitcher of the Week (5/14)
The Atlantic 10 Conference announced its set of weekly baseball awards on Monday with Fordham junior Reiss Knehr (Glen Head, N.Y.) being named the league's Co-Pitcher of the Week.   He shares the honor with George Mason's Jared DiCesare.  It is Knehr's second career Pitcher of the Week award, having won the honor once as a sophomore.  He is also the eight Ram to earn a weekly honor this season.
 
Knehr was stellar in the Rams' series opening win at Massachusetts this past Friday.  He tossed his first career complete game shutout in a 3-0 win.  He allowed four hits and struck out a season-high 11 batters in the contest.  It was the fifth double-digit strikeout game of Knehr's career.  Knehr also reached a personal milestone in the game, reaching 200 career strikeouts to become the 8th Ram ever to reach that plateau.  The 11 strikeouts game him 206 in his career, which is sixth all-time at Fordham. 
 
How About That
With Fordham's 3-1 win over Dayton on May 6^th, the Rams hit 30 wins on the season.  It marks the first time since 2011 that Fordham has reached the 30-win plateau.  It is also the fifth fastest to 30 wins in the modern era of Fordham baseball, behind the 1988 and 1991 teams, which did so on April 30^th, and the 1995 and 1997 teams, which reached the mark on May 4^th.
 
Gotcha!
With the final out of the Rams' win over Saint Joseph's on April 29^th being a strikeout, Fordham set the single team record for strikeouts with 415, breaking the mark of 414 set last season.  It is the fourth consecutive season that the Rams have broken that record.  In the team's next game against Hofstra, Fordham struck out 21 batters over 11 innings, tying the single game team record, which was originally set on March 31, 1909 by the duo of Chris Mahoney and Dick Egan, as they struck out 21 in a no-hitter over Bowdoin College.  Currently, the Rams are at 496 strikeouts as a pitching staff.
 
He's Going, He's Going
A popular phrase heard at Fordham's Houlihan Park at any Rams' home game is "He's going, he's going!"  That phrase has certainly been true throughout the 2018 season.  This year, the Rams have 155 stolen bases, which marks the 11^th time that Fordham has surpassed the 100-stolen base plateau in team history.  The total currently stands second all-time at Fordham behind only the 157 stolen bases in 2008.  The Rams rank first in the Atlantic 10 and first in the country in overall steals, while the team's 3.16 average is also tops in the nation.  Individually, 11 Rams have at least one stolen bases this season and six are in double figures.
 
Who's Next
Fordham will be heading to the Atlantic 10 Championship next week in Arlington, Virginia, May 23-26.  Seeding and game times will be announced at the conclusion of the regular season.