Bronx, N.Y. – (February 19, 2020) – In the earliest home opener in team history, eight Fordham pitchers combined for a four-hit shutout, while
Jake MacKenzie drove in a pair of runs, as the Rams picked up their first win of the 2020 season with a 3-0 victory over the LIU Sharks at Houlihan Park.
Fordham (1-3) opened the scoring in the fourth inning, as
Jake Baker reached on an infield single and stole second.
Jake MacKenzie followed to a double to right center to plate Baker and give the Rams a 1-0 lead. MacKenzie then stole third and scored on a ground out by
Matt Tarabek for a 2-0 edge.
Brandon Martin
The Rams then tacked on an insurance run in the eighth for a 3-0 advantage. Pinch-hitter
Jason Coules led off with an infield single and stole second. Two-outs later, MacKenzie singled home Coules for the three-run lead.
That was enough offense for the Fordham pitching staff, as eight Rams combined for the shutout.
Ben Kovel got the start, pitching two scoreless innings in his collegiate debut.
Brandon Martin (1-0) was credited with the win following his one scoreless inning, while
Garrett Crowley recorded his first collegiate save, tossing 1.1 innings of relief with all four outs being strikeouts.
Alex Henderson,
Alex Hernandez,
Marc Bisogno, and
Gabe Karslo each tossed a scoreless inning with
Jack Popolizio going two-thirds of an inning in the eighth.
At the plate, MacKenzie was 2-for-4 with a double, two RBI, and a stolen base, while Baker and Coules each had a hit, a run scored, and a stolen base.
Justin Machado recorded the remaining hit for the Rams.
The Fordham baseball team will next be in action on Friday, February 21
st, as they take on Cal State Northridge at 4:00 PM ET in Phoenix, Arizona on the campus of Grand Canyon University.
