Greenville, S.C. – (February 28, 2020) – It was a pitcher's duel from the get-go, but it was Fordham's
Matt Mikulski and
Alex Henderson combining for a three-hit effort, while
Alvin Melendez drove in three runs, as the Rams took the series opener from the Paladins, 5-1, at Latham Stadium in Greenville, S.C.
With the win, Fordham improved to 3-6 on the season, picking up their first road win of the year,while Furman fell to 5-4.
The scoring started in the fourth inning, as Fordham got on top 1-0. With one out,
Jason Coules laced a double to right center, and one out later, Melendez singled through the left side to score Coules.
The Rams made it 2-0 in the sixth inning, as
Jake Guercio was hit by a pitch to start the inning. Guercio then stole second and moved to third on a sacrifice bunt by
Matt Tarabek. He then scored on a sac fly by Coules.
Casey Brown
Fordham added to the lead in the eighth inning. Tarabek started the rally with a single to center and stole second. After a strikeout, Coules was intentionally walked with
Jake MacKenzie drawing another walk to load the bases. Melendez then cashed in with a two-run single to left center for a 4-0 lead. The Rams gained another run in the inning on an error, taking a 5-0 lead.
Furman scored a run in the eighth to make it 5-1, but reliever
Alex Henderson got a strikeout, while
Nico Doria threw out a runner at third to end the inning. Henderson then retired the side in order in the ninth to complete the win.
Matt Mikulski (1-1) was brilliant in the win, allowing just one unearned run on three hits over 7.1 innings with five strikeouts. Henderson closed out the final 1.2 innings, posting a pair of strikeouts.
At the plate, Melendez was 2-for-4 with three RBI, while Coules was 1-for-2 with a double, two runs scored and an RBI.
Casey Brown and Tarabek had the other hits for the Rams in a light-hitting affair that saw only eight total hits in the game between the teams.
Game two of the series is set for Saturday at 1:00 PM.
