Bronx, N.Y. - (May 15, 2021) – The Fordham baseball team celebrated Senior Day on Saturday afternoon during the team's doubleheader with the La Salle Explorers, which turned in a split of games at Houlihan Park in the Bronx.
Fordham honored its two fifth-year players,
Alex Hernandez and
Alvin Melendez, as well as its six seniors,
Casey Brown,
Nick Labella,
Matt Mikulski,
Joseph Quintal,
Colton Snelling, and
C.J. Vazquez, during a ceremony between games.
In game one,
Matt Mikulski struck out ten Explorers in a complete game seven-inning effort, as he earned his 20
th career win, a 4-2 victory.
La Salle took an early 2-0 lead in the top of the second on a two-run double by Jack Cucinotta, but Fordham answered with three runs in the bottom of the fourth to grab a 3-2 edge.
Alvin Melendez started the rally as he was hit by a pitch and stole second. The Rams then loaded the bases on walks to
Jason Coules ad
Nick Labella and scored the first run on a wild pitch.
Zach Selinger then plated Coules with a sacrifice fly to right to tie the game, while
Jack Harnisch singled home Labella for the lead.
The Rams tacked on an insurance run in the sixth, when pinch runner
Chris Genaro scored on a wild pitch for the 4-2 final.
Mikulski improved to 8-0 on the year, throwing his fourth complete game of the season. He allowed two runs on four hits with 10 strikeouts, which was his seventh double-digit strikeout performance of the season. The win was also his 20
th career win, making him the 11
th Ram to reach that plateau.
In game two, it looked like Fordham may have an opportunity to sweep the doubleheader, scoring four runs in the first inning. However, La Salle scored eight unanswered runs, highlighted by a six-run second inning, for the 8-4 victory.
After holding La Salle scoreless in the first, Fordham opened the bottom of the first with a single by
C.J. Vazquez and a ground-rule double by Melendez. After a ground out, Labella cracked a two-run double for a 2-0 lead. Labella then scored on a single up the middle by
Zach Selinger. The final run came from an errant pickoff throw that allowed Selinger to go to third with an
Andy Semo groundout scoring him from third.
La Salle did not allow the lead to last for long, scoring six times in the second for a 6-4 advantage. The inning as highlighted by a two-run single from Elijah Dickerson.
The Explorers then added single runs n the fifth and sixth innings for the 8-4 final.
Gabe Karslo (4-2) took the loss, allowing six runs on five hits in 1.1 inning of work. At the plate, the Rams totaled seven hits with Vazquez going 2-for-4 with a run scored.
The series between the two teams concludes with a noon game on Sunday.
Gallery: (5-15-2021) Baseball vs. La Salle (Senior Day)
