Bronx, N.Y. – (April 18, 2025) – Fordham's
Madden Ocko singled home
Cian Sahler in the bottom of the ninth inning to walk-off with a 5-4 win by the Rams over the St. Bonaventure Bonnies on Friday afternoon at Houlihan Park.
For the second straight game, the Bonnies struck first, as Jayce Tharnish and David Marshall connected on back-to-back doubles for the opening run of the game. Fordham quickly answered with three runs in the bottom of the frame for a 3-1 lead.
Taylor Kirk led off with a single to right, extending his hit streak to 18 games, tying Jason Coules for the third-longest in school history. Kirk then stole second with
Cian Sahler reaching on an error to put two runners aboard.
Daniel Bucciero then crushed a three-home run to left center, his fourth of the year, to give Fordham the lead.
The Rams extended the lead to 4-1 in the third.
Andrew Kanellis singled to left with two outs and then came home on a double to right center by
Anthony Grabau.
The score stayed that way until the sixth, where St. Bonaventure's Conner Vercollone hit a two-run home run to left, his ninth of the season, making it a 4-3 game.
The Bonnies then tied the game at four in the seventh, as Tharnish doubled to left, moved to third on a failed pickoff attempt, and scored on a single by Marshall.
Fordham would not be denied their fourth series win of the year, as the Rams walked off with the win in the ninth. With one out, Sahler and Bucciero reached on back-to-back singles. After a pop out, Grabau was hit by a pitch to load the bases.
Madden Ocko then delivered the game-winning RBI-single to left center for the 5-4 win, scoring Sahler.
Beau Elson (4-2) earned the win in relief of
Mike Rabayda, allowing one run on two hits with three strikeouts. Rabayda tossed the first six innings, giving up two earned runs with four strikeouts. At the plate, Kanellis was 3-for-5, while Bucciero went 2-for-5 with a home run, three RBI, and a pair of stolen bases.
The final game of the series is set for 12:00 PM on Saturday.
