The Rams improved to 6-6 in conference play. Christian Wiloejo/ The Fordham Ram
By Sam Belden
After surviving some early hiccups, Fordham baseball has turned in a solid 13-13 record since March 10, the date of their first home game of the season. However, prior to last week, a major storyline was the Rams’ disappointing play on the road. As of last Tuesday, the team had managed just two wins and 12 losses as the visiting team, leaving it with an ugly .143 winning percentage in those games. Even so, there was reason to think that it could reverse that trend.
“I don’t like our record on the road, and I don’t like excuses, but eight of those 12 losses are to No. 13, No. 18 and No. 24 opponents,” head coach Kevin Leighton said at the time. “Hopefully, we can improve that record this weekend.”
Leighton’s Rams did just that. After dropping a non-conference game to Siena, the team headed down to the nation’s capital for a three game slate against George Washington, one of the Atlantic 10’s best. Thanks to a pair of strong pitching performances, Fordham took two out of three, improving its conference record to 6-6 and serving two losses to the Colonials, now 10-4 against the A-10.
The game against Siena featured Fordham’s only lackluster performance of the week. The Saints got off to an early lead in the bottom of the first, scoring four runs off of freshman David Manasek, who lasted just one inning. While the Rams rallied for two of their own in the second frame, junior reliever Cody Johnson surrendered a pair of additional runs to Siena before leaving in the middle of the fourth inning, giving the Saints a lead of four. Fordham scored one more run off of an eighth inning single from sophomore catcher Pat Gardner, but it was not sufficient and Siena won the game by a score of 7-3.
With that loss in the rearview mirror, the Rams headed down to Washington for their series against the Colonials. Thanks to a pair of strong starts from sophomore pitcher Greg Weissert and GW’s Bobby LeWarne, the first game remained scoreless until the bottom of the fifth inning, when the home team scratched across a run. In the top of the next inning, however, Fordham’s hitters got hot.
First, junior designated hitter Ryan McNally doubled, allowing two runs to cross the plate. Consequently, LeWarne left the game and was replaced by Luke Olson, who retired one batter before surrendering a single to sophomore center fielder Jason Lundy, resulting in two more runs for the Rams. In the next inning, junior catcher Charles Galiano singled through the left side to knock in sophomore right fielder Mark Donadio, extending Fordham’s lead to four. While Weissert gave up two more runs in the seventh inning, junior reliever Jimmy Murphy was excellent, pitching nearly three innings of shutout ball and saving the 5-3 victory.
The next day, the two teams squared off again. GW got off to an early lead, scoring a run off of junior starter Brett Kennedy in each of the first two innings. From there, however, Kennedy was dialed in, holding the Colonials scoreless for the rest of the game while whiffing seven and walking just one. Fordham’s offense, meanwhile, hit its stride in the fifth inning when junior second baseman Joseph Runco hit a home run, knocking in Lundy and tying things up. An inning later, junior third baseman Ian Edmiston singled home another run.
The seventh and eighth frames were scoreless, and Fordham entered the ninth with a one-run lead. The Rams pulled away on the strength of a solo shot from junior shortstop Joseph DeVito, in addition to a single from sophomore first baseman Matthew Kozuch, which resulted in a pair of RBIs.
Working with a three-run lead, Kennedy retired the side in the bottom of the ninth, going the distance and securing Fordham’s second win of the series. The final score was 6-2.
On Sunday, Fordham went for the sweep. They got off to an early lead thanks to DeVito’s RBI single in the top of the second, but from there, the offense went quiet.
However, freshman starter Ben Greenberg was effective, surrendering just one run in more than six innings of work. With the game tied in the seventh inning, junior reliever Joseph Serrapica allowed one too many baserunners, letting the Colonials take the lead off of an RBI single. The rest of the game was scoreless, and the tense pitchers’ duel went to GW by a score of 2-1.
The biggest reason for Fordham’s success in Washington was its pitching. In 26 innings, the Rams surrendered just seven runs — a 2.42 ERA.
“They have been attacking the strike zone and letting our defense make plays,” Leighton said of his pitchers. “We have a strong staff. They’re throwing really well right now.”
With the two victories, the Rams have improved to 4-14 on the road, a significant improvement from what it had been at the start of the week. They also now boast a record of 6-6 in conference play, remaining tied with LaSalle for seventh in the A-10.
Only the top seven will qualify for the A-10 Championship in the nation’s capital.
“Every conference win matters, so we have to play every game like it’s the game that determines our playoff fate,” said Runco, who got four hits and swiped four bags against GW.
This week, the Rams will return to the Bronx, where they have enjoyed the majority of their success this season. After hosting Columbia, they will play a three-game series against Saint Louis. With a 9-3 conference record and 27-12 overall, the Billikens are one of the best teams in the conference, but Leighton likes his squad’s chances.
“Saint Louis is very good and will be a good test for us,” he said. “If we pitch the way we have been, I think we can beat anyone. I know our guys will be up for this series.”
