By Sam Belden
The Rams bookended their home stand with wins against Manhattan and Stony Brook. (Courtesy of Fordham Athletics)
It was a busy weekend for Fordham Baseball. The team played the final three games of its opening homestand, dropping the first two but emerging victorious on Sunday, March 13 against Stony Brook. Then, on Tuesday, the Rams traveled to Connecticut for a game against Sacred Heart and lost 2-1.
Fordham faced off against the Villanova Wildcats in Friday’s game. A first inning home run from leftfielder Ryan McNally got the Rams off to an early lead, but junior starter Greg Weissert was unable to find his groove. He surrendered eight runs, four of them earned, in just over four innings before being replaced by junior Kirk Haynes, Jr. Freshman catcher Justin Bardwell homered in the bottom of the fifth, cutting Villanova’s lead to seven, but the Wildcats plated two more runners in the next inning. Fordham scored one more run in the bottom of the ninth but ran out of gas, losing 11-3.
The following day, Saint Peter’s came to Houlihan Park for a Saturday afternoon game. While the Rams’ pitching was much improved, they were shut out as the Peacocks picked up the 2-0 victory. Fordham senior starter Joseph Serrapica delivered seven strong innings, giving up two earned runs and striking out 10, but he was nevertheless saddled with the loss, his fourth straight. The trouble came during the fourth inning, when Saint Peter’s shortstop Jon Kristofferson blasted a solo shot and second baseman James Spadaccini singled with two men on. Visiting starter John Leiter went the distance, holding Fordham to just two hits on the day.
“We got some good pitches to hit, and we didn’t miss them,” said head coach Kevin Leighton. “Leiter was very good, and sometimes you run into a guy on a day where everything is working for him.”
The Rams’ luck changed on Sunday. Stony Brook scored a run in the second inning, taking an early lead, but Fordham’s offense came alive two frames later. Junior first baseman Matthew Kozuch hit a home run to tie things up, and from there, the Rams rallied to take a big lead. Third baseman Ian Edmiston doubled to score Bardwell, then senior second baseman Joseph DeVito hit another double, scoring Edmiston and junior designated hitter Luke Stampfl. Senior shortstop Joseph Runco singled to centerfield, but Stony Brook outfielder Toby Handley misplayed it, allowing freshman leftfielder Reiss Knehr and DeVito to score. When all was said and done, the Rams held a 6-1 lead. The rest of the game was scoreless, bringing Fordham’s home record to 2-2.
Fordham’s away game against Sacred Heart was its closest game of the four-game stretch. The Pioneers got off to an early lead thanks to an RBI single from pitcher Jesus Medina, but the Rams tied it up in the top of the third inning when a Kozuch single plated Knehr. The next five innings were scoreless, and the 1-1 game looked to be heading for extra innings, but Sacred Heart loaded the bases in the bottom of the ninth and scored a run on a fielder’s choice, securing the walk-off win. Freshman pitcher Ryan Remo took the loss for Fordham.
Fordham’s record is now 5-10, but the most important games are yet to come. Atlantic 10 play starts on April 1, when the Richmond Spiders will come to town. Until then, the Rams will stay busy with their slate of non-conference opponents. On Saturday, they will kick off a two-game series against Wagner.
“We have some tough opponents this week,” said Leighton. “We need to stay focused and competitive. I expect our guys to come out and fight in these games.”
