Miami, Fla. – (February 14, 2020) – Friday's night baseball opener was certainly not what the Fordham Rams were expecting, as three early errors led to a six-run second inning which turned into a 20-7 win for the FIU Panthers at FIU Baseball Stadium in Miami, Florida.
The Panthers nipped Fordham starter
Matt Mikulski for a pair of runs in the first inning on a two-run double by Justin Farmer.
The Rams answered in the top of the second as
Jake MacKenzie drilled a solo home run over the left field wall to make it a 2-1 game.
Fordham though would give that run back plus five more, as three errors led to six unearned runs and chased Mikulski from the game.
FIU would add two in the third before Fordham added a run in the fourth on a bases loaded walk to
Jason Coules to force in a run, making it a 10-2 game.
Jake Macenzie
The Panthers continued to pad the lead, scoring four in the fourth and once in the fifth and the sixth innings.
The Rams' offense then picked up some runs with one in the sixth and three in the seventh, making it 16-6. Coules connected on a solo home run to left center in the sixth, while Fordham loaded the bases in the seventh, getting a run on a hit by pitch, a
Nick Labella RBI-single, and a sacrifice fly by Coules.
The runs kept on coming with two by FIU in the seventh and eighth innings, while Fordham scratched one across in the eighth for the 20-7 final.
Mikulski (0-1) took the loss, allowing eight runs (two earned) over two innings. At the plate, Coules was 1-for-2 with a home run and three RBI, while MacKenzie was 2-for-3 with a solo home run.
Jake Baker and
C.J. Vazquez also had a pair of hits each for the Rams.
Game two of the series is set for Saturday at 6:00 PM.
