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Baseball Drops Late Lead as Fordham Rallies for the Win, 6-4
April 13, 2008
BRONX, NY - Fordham scored four unearned runs with two outs in the bottom of the eighth as they rallied to down George Washington baseball in the rubber game of their Atlantic 10 Conference series Sunday afternoon at Houlihan Park in Bronx, NY. The Colonials (17-17, 6-6 A-10) had led 4-2 since the end of the first innings before the Rams (18-16, 5-7 A-10) rallied for win.
In the bottom of the eighth, Fordham put runners on second and third with no outs, trailing 4-2. GW starter Pat Lehman (Fair Lawn, NJ/Fair Lawn) buckled down and got back-to-back strikeouts, leaving the Colonials just one out away from escaping the jam.
Lehman got the next batter to hit a soft roller to third base, but Doug Eizen's (Philadelphia, PA/The Haverford School) throw to first was in the dirt, allowing two runs to score, tying the game at four. The next batter, Ryan David, hit a line-drive home run to left field to give Fordham their first lead of the game, 6-4. GW was retired in order in the top of the ninth to end the game.
Pat Lehman (4-2) pitched a complete game, his second in as many starts, allowed six runs, two earned, and scattered six hits while striking out eight. He suffered just his second loss of the season.
Fordham's J.P. Mack (2-3) got the win after he pitched 7.2 shutout innings in relief. Chris Kaible, the starting designated-hitter, picked up his seventh save of the season. The loss was the first for the Colonials in 2008 when leading after seven innings (13-1 record).
Sunday's game began favorably for the Colonials, as GW scored four runs in the first inning, all with just one hit. Tom Zebroski (Port Washington, NY/Paul Schreiber) led-off with a walk, stole second and then scored on Charlie Kruer's (Old Bridge, NJ/Old Bridge) double ripped to the wall in right field. A pair of walks following Kruer loaded the bases and ended the day for Fordham starter, Jake Rabinowitz, after facing just five batters. The new Rams' pitcher, J.P. Mack, was greeted with consecutive sac-bunts from the Colonials, pushing across another three runs, as they took advantage of a Rams' throwing error.
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Fordham answered with two runs of their own in the bottom of the frame, scoring one on an Eric Reese RBI-triple and the second on a P.J. Como fielder's choice hit to second base.
The scored remained 4-2 until the pivotal eighth inning, as Lehman and Mack cruised through the middle innings. During that stretch, Mack at one point retired 18 of 19, including 12 in a row, while Lehman surrendered just four hits through the first seven innings.
Charlie Kruer finished the day 2-for-4 with a pair of doubles, a run and one RBI. The senior OF now has 18 two-baggers this season, tops on the team. He is tied for seventh all-time at GW with 47 career doubles. Kruer is currently on pace to finish with 29 doubles in 2008; the single-season record at GW is 23 (Matt Krimmel, 2002).
George Washington, now 14-5 all-time against Fordham, hosts Towson (18-17) in a non-conference game Wednesday, Apr. 16, at Barcroft Park, in Arlington, VA. First pitch is scheduled for 3:00 p.m.
