Baseball Edges VCU To Move to A-10 Semifinal

Photo Gallery

Bronx, N.Y. – (May 23, 2019) – Behind strong pitching from their two First Team All-Atlantic 10 pitcher and some clutch defense, the Fordham Rams defeated the VCU Rams, 2-1, on day two of the 2019 Atlantic 10 Championship, hosted at Houlihan Park in the Bronx.
 
With the win, Fordham improved to 36-22 on the year, while VCU fell to 39-18. Fordham has now tied the modern day program record (post-1920) for wins at 36 with the 1988 and 1990 teams.
 
Fordham started the scoring right away in the first inning.  C.J. Vazquez led off with a ground rule double to left and moved to third on a sacrifice bunt by Jason Coules.  One out later, Alvin Melendez laced a single to left, scoring Vazquez for a 1-0 lead.

 
VCU answered with a run in the bottom of the frame, as Brett Norwood hit a solo home run to center, his sixth of the year, tying the game at one.
 
Fordham regained the lead in the fourth inning, when Melendez drew a walk, stole second, and scored on an errant pickoff throw to second.
 
The Maroon and White then flashed the leather to keep the one-run lead.  Melendez made a jumping catch in right field for the first out of the fourth, while Billy Godrick robbed Steve Carpenter of a potential home run in left center field for the second out.  Then in the eighth inning, with two on and two outs, VCU's Paul Witt hit a high chopper off the plate that Matt Tarabek fielded and fired to first to Nick Labella to keep the Fordham lead at 2-1.

 
The game then went into an hour and 17 minute weather delay, before resuming with the ninth inning.  Fordham's Kyle Martin then struck out the side in the ninth to post his tenth save of the season, tying his career-high.  He finished with four strikeouts in two innings of relief.  Starter John Stankiewicz (8-3) got the win, allowing just one run on three hits over seven innings to go with five strikeouts.  The five strikeouts gave Stankiewicz 102 strikeouts for the season, becoming the fourth Ram to reach the century mark in a season, joining Cory Riordan (2007), Hank Borowy (1939), and Dick Egan (1909).
 
At the plate, Melendez was 2-for-3 with a double, a run scored, an RBI, and a stolen base, while Jake Baker had a hit and two stolen bases.  With the three stolen bases, Fordham has broken its team stolen base record with 172 this season, moving past last season's mark of 169.
 
Fordham now moves on to the Atlantic 10 Championship semifinal on Friday, May 24^th against third-seeded Dayton at noon.