Phoenix, Ariz. – (February 22, 2020) – Grand Canyon (GCU) scored twice in the seventh inning to break a 3-3 tie and added an insurance run in the eighth, as the Lopes downed the Fordham Rams, 6-3, at GCU Ballpark on day two of the GCU Classic.
Fordham (1-5) was able to get in one of the two scheduled games on Saturday, as the early contest against Cal St. Northridge was cancelled due to rain. The rain subsided in order to play the second game against GCU, but the aftermath of the rain was felt throughout the contest, as balls into the outfield were slowed by or stuck in puddles of water.
After GCU took a 2-0 lead in the first, Fordham scored once in the second and third innings to knot the game at two. In the second,
Jason Coules singled home
Alvin Melendez, who reached on a double, while the third inning saw
Jake MacKenzie plated
Jake Baker with an RBI-single to right.
Jake MacKenzie
The score stayed tied until the sixth, where the puddles resurfaced and aided a triple by Drew Smith and scored on a sac fly by Dominic Grissom.
The Rams rallied again to tie the game at three in the top of the seventh, as
Matt Tarabek drew a walk, advanced to second on a wild pitch, and scored on a single by
Andy Semo.
GCU answered with two unearned runs in the bottom half of the inning off reliever
Alex Henderson (0-1) to take a 5-3 lead.
Fordham did not quit threatening to tie the game for a third time, getting runners at the corners with one out in the eighth. However, Frankie Scalzo got back-to-back strikeouts to end the potential rally. He then retired the side in the ninth to close off a 6-3 win, posting his first save of the season.
Fordham starter
John Stankiewicz got a no-decision but pitched well, allowing just one earned run on three hits over six innings with three strikeouts. At the plate, MacKenzie finished 3-for-4 with an RBI, while Melendez and Semo each had a pair of hits.
The Rams wrap up action at the GCU Classic on Sunday with a 5:00 PM ET (3:00 PM MT) contest against GCU. This is a slight change in game time from the original schedule.