University of Massachusets Athletics
University of Massachusetts
Fordham
Baseball Comes Up Short Against Fordham, 6-5
March 27, 2009 | Baseball
March 27, 2009
BRONX, N.Y. - The UMass baseball team rallied from a 4-0 deficit to tie the score at five in the eighth. However, Fordham followed up with the deciding run in the bottom half of the inning to defeat the Minutemen, 6-5, in Atlantic 10 action at Houlihan Park on Friday afternoon. UMass falls to 6-10 and 1-3 in league play with the loss, while the Rams improve to 7-13 and 3-1.
Fordham struck first, putting up three runs in the bottom of the third. Danny Leach reached on a fielder's choice and scored on an RBI single by Mike Mobbs. The next batter, Bobby DiNardo, rocketed a two-run homer over the left field fence to bring the Rams' advantage to 3-0.
For a fourth-straight inning, Fordham had the leadoff runner reach in the bottom of the fourth as Stephen McSherry began the frame with a triple to deep center field and Nick Martinez drove him in with an RBI single for a 4-0 lead.
UMass cut its deficit in half with a pair of runs in the seventh. Sophomore Peter Copa and freshman Tom Conley started things off with back-to-back singles. Copa legged out an infield single on a ball hit deep to the hole at shortstop and Conley poked a ball through the right side. With one away, senior Sam Boone drew a walk and sophomore Matt Gedman was hit by a pitch to force in Copa. A sacrifice fly to left by senior Adam Tempesta provided the Mintutemen's second run, with Conley coming home on the play.
The Rams took one of the runs back in the bottom of the frame to bring the score to 5-2. Angelo Ponte reached on an error and Joe Russo, who pinch ran for Ponte, scored on another error after moving to third on a ground ball.
However, UMass answered by tying the score at five in its next turn at bat. Consecutive walks to senior Jim Macdonald, Copa and Conley loaded the bases for pinch hitter Mike Gedman. Gedman ripped a one-out ground rule double to center that plated Macdonald and Conley. His brother, Matt, then followed up with a sacrifice fly to send in Conley for the team's fifth and final run.
Fordham responded by plating the winning run in the bottom of the eighth. Pinch hitter Ryan Maghini led off with a double, moved to third on a groundout and scored on a single up the middle by Chris Walker.
Senior Mitchell Eilenberg gave up one run on two hits in one inning of relief and took the loss (1-2) for the Minutemen. He had one walk and one strikeout in the outing. Chris Kaible earned the victory (2-1) the Rams. He held UMass scoreless for the final 1.2 innings of the contest and gave up one hit with one walk and one strikeout.
Tempesta was the lone Minuteman to tally multiple hits in the contest, finishing 2-for-3 with an RBI. Copa and Conley each scored twice for UMass.
Martinez led Fordham's hitters with a 2-for-3 performance, while Ryan McRann went 2-for-5.
The teams will be back in action tomorrow, Mar. 28, playing game two of the weekend series at 1 p.m. at Houlihan Park.
