Kingston, R.I. – (March 31, 2019) – Rhode Island's Josh Brodeur connected on his fifth hit of the game to score Max Mircovich to give Rhode Island a 9-8 win over the Fordham Rams in the resumption of Saturday's series finale.
With the loss, Fordham falls to 16-12 on the year, 3-3 in the Atlantic 10, while Rhode Island improved to 10-13 on the year, 4-2 in the league.
To recap the first 11 innings, Rhode Island opened with a 3-0 lead by the second inning before Fordham scored once in the fifth and twice in the sixth to tie the game. In the fifth,
Alvin Melendez singled home
Jake Guercio from second, after he reached on a hit by pitch. Then, it was an RBI-double by
C.J. Vazquez and an RBI-single by
Jake Baker in the sixth which tied the game.
Rhode Island regained the lead at 4-3 in the bottom of the sixth, but Fordham tied the game at four in the top of the seventh as
Jake MacKenzie singled, stole second, moved to third on a wild pitch, and scored on a failed pickoff attempt.
The roller coaster game continued as URI scored three times in the bottom of the eighth to take a 7-4 lead, highlighted by a two-run single from Heiss.
Fordham then came back for a third time in the game, scoring four run in the top of the ninth to take an 8-7 lead. Guercio and MacKenzie led off with back-to-back singles and moved up a base on a ground out.
Nick Labella then ripped a single up the middle to score both runners.
Justin Bardwell then ripped a two-run home run to left, his second of the year, to give Fordham an 8-7 lead.
The lead was short lived as Rhode Island scored once in the ninth to knot the game at eight, following a Fordham error.
Neither team could break the tie through two extra innings, forcing the umpires to suspend the game due to darkness.
The game resumed on Sunday morning with a base hit by Bardwell to start the 12
th inning, but Fordham was unable to score. Then in the bottom of the frame, URI loaded the bases with two outs on two walks and a hit by a pitch. Josh Brodeur then singled home Max Mircovich from third to win the game.
For Fordham, Labella was 3-for-6 with two RBI, while MacKenzie went 3-for-5 with two runs scored and a stolen base. Bardwell finished 3-for-6 with a double, a home run, two runs scored, and two RBI. Fordham used six pitchers in the game, highlighted by five innings of relief by
Gabe Karslo, allowing one run with six strikeouts.
The Fordham baseball team will next be in action on Wednesday, April 3
rd, when the Rams host Siena at 4:00 PM.
