George Washington University

April 15, 2011

Box Score

BRONX, NY- Fordham scored in the bottom of the ninth inning to steal a win from the George Washington baseball team on Friday afternoon at Houlihan Park in an Atlantic 10 Conference game. The game featured six lead changes before Fordham walked off with the series-opening win.

Fordham (20-13, 4-3 A-10) opened the scoring in the bottom of the first inning with a RBI single from Chris Walker to take a 1-0 lead off of Colonial starter Bobby Lucas.

GW (10-24, 3-4 A-10) responded in the top of the second inning when junior Jimmy Best launched a 1-0 pitch over the left field fence for a solo home run to tie the game, 1-1. It was Best's fourth home run of the season.

The Colonials added two more runs in the third. Senior Brendon Kelliher delivered a RBI single that scored junior Brett Bowers. Bowers had led off the inning with a walk and advanced to second on a sacrifice bunt by sophomore Justin Albright.

Junior Stephen Oswald followed with a double and sophomore Tyler McCarthy knocked him in with a RBI triple to center field to extend the lead to 3-1. It was the first triple of the year for the Colonials.

Fordham responded with a run in the bottom of the third but GW got right back to work at the plate in the fourth by scoring two more runs. Bowers delivered a sacrifice fly to score junior Ollie Mittag and Albright followed with a double down the right field line to score freshman Jordan Berry to push the lead to 5-2.

The Rams tied the game in the bottom of the fifth inning with three runs. Lucas lasted four and one-third innings allowing five runs with five strikeouts and four walks. In his last four starts, Lucas has registered 33 strikeouts.

Senior Joe Richardson entered in relief of Lucas with one out in the fifth and promptly induced a ground ball double play to get out of the inning.

The Colonials then retook the lead in the top of the fifth inning with a RBI double by McCarthy to take a 6-5 lead.

In the bottom of the seventh inning, Fordham broke through for two runs to take a 7-6 lead. Ryan David reached base on a single up the middle and Walker followed with a RBI double to tie the game, 6-6. After Richardson got Joe Russo to line out to shortstop, Ryan Lee delivered a RBI single to give Fordham a 7-6 lead.

In the top of the eighth freshman Brookes Townsend led off with a single to left field. Senior Joe Motto entered the game as a pinch runner and stole second base before being knocked in by Bowers on a RBI single to left center field to tie the game, 7-7.

Fordham scored the winning run in the bottom of the ninth inning on a RBI single by Ryan Maghini. The Rams put runners on second and third base with no outs and the Colonials were able to prevent the winning run from scoring on a fielders choice in which Richards fired a comebacker to the mound to the plate where Best applied the tag. However, Maghini followed with the game winning base hit to center field to give the Rams the win.

The Colonials and Rams will play game two of their three-game series on Saturday afternoon when LHP Brian Derner takes the mound against Fordham's RHP Chris Pike. Game time is scheduled for 12:00 pm.