Baseball Begins Three-Game Series with UMass on Friday

Bronx, N.Y. – (May 11, 2023) – The Fordham baseball team opens a three-game Atlantic 10 series on Friday, as the Rams will host the Massachusetts Minutemen at Houlihan Park.  Fordham is set to hold Senior Day on Saturday in a pregame ceremony.
 
Fordham (17-31, 5-13 A10) is coming off a weekend set with George Mason, where the Rams dropped two of three contests to the Patriots, while UMass (12-30, 4-14 A10) lost two of three games to Rhode Island on the weekend, while picking up a mid-week win over Stonehill.
 
PROBABLE STARTERS/GAME COVERAGE:
 Friday – 3:00 PM - Fordham – RHP Declan Lavelle (1-4, 6.44 ERA) vs. Massachusetts – LHP Jack Pawloski (1-3, 7.58 ERA) // Live Audio | Live Stats | Twitter - @FordhamBaseball
 
Saturday – 1:00 PM - Fordham – LHP Austin Sachen (0-4, 11.38 ERA) vs. Massachusetts – RHP Taylor Perrett (1-5, 6.91 ERA) // Live Audio | Live Stats | Twitter - @FordhamBaseball
 
Sunday – 12:00 PM - Fordham – TBA vs. Massachusetts – RHP Jack Steele (0-4, 10.30 ERA) // Live Video (ESPN+) | Live Stats | Twitter - @FordhamBaseball
 
OPPONENT OUTLOOK: Massachusetts is 12-30 on the year with a 4-14 Atlantic 10 record.  The team is hitting .260 as a group with a team ERA of 7.47.  Offensively, the Minutemen are led by Steve Luttazi, who is hitting .333 with 29 runs scored, seven doubles, three-home runs, and 19 RBI, while Nolan Lichty leads the squad with eight doubles, ten home runs, and 37 RBI to go with a .329 average.  On the mound Jack Pawloski is the tentative Friday starter, posting a 1-3 record with a 7.58 ERA.
 
SERIES HISTORY: Fordham and Massachusetts have been consistent opponents since the Rams joined the Atlantic 10 in the 1996 season.  The teams have played 67 times, with UMass holding a slight edge with a 34-32-1 record, after sweeping a three-game series last year at Earl Lorden Field in Amherst in April.
 
LAST TIME OUT: The Fordham Rams put together a flurry of offense on Sunday but left the game-tying run on base in the ninth, as George Mason took the series finale from the Rams, 11-10, at Houlihan Park.
 
Fordham opened the scoring with a run in the first inning on a sacrifice fly by Zach Selinger, which was matched by a sacrifice fly by George Mason's Mark Trotta in the second.
 
After George Mason took the lead in the third on a run-scoring balk, Fordham quickly tied the game at two on a solo home run to right center by Daniel Bucciero, his third of the season.

 
The Rams regained the lead in the bottom of the fourth with a three-run rally to go up by a 5-2 count, highlighted by an RBI-infield single by T.J. Wachter.  The Patriots answered with a five-run fifth, highlighted by a two-run double by James Quinn-Irons to grab a 7-5 lead.
 
Fordham tied the game once again using the long ball, getting a solo home run by Zach Selinger in the fifth, his tenth of the year, and a solo home run by Ryan Thiesse in the sixth.
 
George Mason once again had a response, scoring three times in the seventh on a two-run single by Jordan Smith and an RBI-ground out by Brett Stallings, making it a 10-7 score.  Smith then made it, 11-7 in the top of the ninth with a solo home run to center, his sixth of the year.
 
Fordham tried to rally in the bottom of the ninth, as pinch-hitter Jack Vallario led off with a double to the left field corner, followed by a one-out walk to Bucciero.  Tommy McAndrews then crushed a three-run home run to left center to cut the Patriots' lead to 11-10.  Selinger would walk with two outs getting the tying run aboard with Will Findlay coming to the plate.  George Mason went to the bullpen for Mason Posey, who got Findlay to ground out to second to end the game.
 
For Fordham, McAndrews was 2-for-3 with a home run and three RBI, while Selinger went 2-for-3 with a home run, two runs scored, and two RBI.  Bucciero finished 2-for-4 with a home run and two runs scored.
 
POWER SURGE: One of the big differences from a year ago has been Fordham's ability to hit the long ball in 2023.  Fordham has 48 home runs on the year, which has already surpassed last year's total of 26.  Peter DeMaria leads the team with 11 on the season with Zach Selinger having a career-high ten.  Fordham also has six grand slam home runs (Selinger – 3, Sebastian Mexico – 1, Daniel Bucciero – 1, Michael Taylor - 1).

RAMSES CHALLENGE: As a part of a new fundraising challenge this season, fans can pledge support for the team in the Ramses Challenge for each win, home run hit, or pitcher's strikeout this season.  Be a part of the challenge by clicking here.
 
WHO'S NEXT: Following this weekend series, Fordham finishes the regular season with four road games next week, facing Manhattan on Tuesday, May 16, while traveling to Saint Louis, May 18-20.