Towson, Md. – (March 16, 2019) – For the second straight day, the Fordham baseball team could not figure the opposing pitching staff as Colby Wyatt and Andrew Ellison combined for a six-hit shutout, as the Cornell Big Red edged the Rams, 1-0, at Schuerholz Park in Maryland.
With the loss, Fordham fell to 10-9 on the season, while Cornell improved to 2-9.
The lone run of the game came off a Fordham miscue in the first inning. Justin Taylor reached base on an error and then scored on a sacrifice bunt by Kalani Matton one batter later.
The Rams' lineup had multiple chances to tie the game, as on four occasions, Fordham got a runner to second, third, or both.
The best of those opportunities was in the bottom of the ninth, as
Jake MacKenzie led off with a double to left.
Justin Bardwell then hit a fielder's choice to third right where MacKenzie was for the tag out.
Matt Tarabek was then hit by a pitch with Bardwell going to second with one out. After Bardwell was lifted for pinch runner
Richard Grund, Grund reached third on a wild pitch. However,
Billy Godrick struck out, while
Terrence Murray popped out to end the game at 1-0.
The loss spoiled an outstanding pitching effort from Fordham's duo of
John Stankiewicz and
Mike Cowell. Stankiewicz (3-1) was the hard luck loser, allowing the one unearned run on two hits over six innings, while tying a career-high with nine strikeouts. Cowell followed with three scoreless innings of one-hit relief with three strikeouts.
The Rams conclude the weekend in Towson with a 3:00 PM game against the Tigers on Sunday.
