Bronx, N.Y. – (April 15, 2022) – Behind career days from
Michael Taylor and
Cameron Knox, the Fordham baseball team topped the Dayton Flyers, 6-2, at Houlihan Park on Friday afternoon.
Dayton (14-16, 3-5 A10) opened the scoring in the first, when Marcos Pujols hit a solo home run to right center, his seventh of the season.
The Flyers extended their lead to 2-0 in the fifth on an RBI-single from Keagan Calero.
Fordham (7-24, 2-6 A10) then hit their offensive stride, scoring five times in the bottom of the fifth for a 5-2 lead.
Nico Boza started the rally with a single up the middle and was sacrificed to second by
Ryan Thiesse.
David Kale, playing in only his second game of the season, then cracked a to-run home run to left to tie the game at two.
The inning continued as Andrew Semo was hit by a pitch, while
Will Findlay drew a walk.
Michael Taylor then stepped to the plate and crushed a three-run home run to center for a 5-2 lead. It was Taylor's second home run of the season.
Michael Taylor
The Rams then added some insurance in the eighth, as
Sebastian Mexico singled to center with one out and stole second. After a walk to Semo and a fly out, Taylor ripped a single through the left side to score Mexico to make it, 6-2.
Dayton would make it interesting in the ninth, loading the bases with one out. However,
Ben Kovel got a strikeout, while Findlay knocked down a hard hit grounder and made the play to first for the final out of the ballgame.
Kovel recorded his third save of the season in relief for Fordham starter
Cameron Knox, who improved to 3-2 on the year. Knox had a career-day, pitching a career-long 7.2 innings for the win, allowing two runs on five hits with three strikeouts.
At the plate, Taylor also had a career day with his first career three-hit game. He was 3-for-4 with a double, a home run, and a career-high four RBI. Kale finished 2-for-3 with a home run and two RBI with Mexico ending up 2-for-2 with a run scored and a stolen base off the bench.
The two teams will have the rubber game of the series on Saturday at noon.
