DAYTON, Ohio (Interstat) — Fordham salvaged the final game of its Atlantic 10 conference series at Dayton on Sunday, holding off a late rally by the Flyers for a 5-4 victory at Woerner Field.

The Rams, who dropped the first two games of the weekend set, built a 5-1 lead through eight innings before Dayton catcher Ryan MacDougall launched a two-run homer in the bottom of the ninth to create a tense finish. The Flyers brought the tying run to the plate, but Fordham reliever Declan Cawley, who earned the win, recorded the final out to secure the win.

Fordham improved to 14-16 overall, while Dayton fell to 17-13.

The game turned on a pivotal mid-game pitching change and dominant relief work. After Fordham starter Aidan Dowd allowed two runs on four hits over four innings, the Rams’ bullpen took over. Declan Cawley entered in the fifth and threw two scoreless innings, allowing no hits and striking out three. Robbie Stewart followed with two more perfect innings, striking out three, to bridge the gap to the ninth.

Their work stifled a Dayton offense that had scored 22 runs in the first two games of the series. The Flyers managed just four hits after the fourth inning until the ninth-inning rally.

Fordham’s offense, which produced 10 hits, chipped away at Dayton starter John Delgado. The Rams took a 1-0 lead in the second inning when Caden Young singled home Madden Ocko. They added another run in the fourth on an RBI fielder’s choice by Joey Donnelly that scored Jack Grabau, and made it 3-1 in the fifth on an RBI single by Chris McAndrews.

The Rams extended their lead to 4-1 in the sixth on an RBI double by Donnelly, scoring Ocko. They added a crucial insurance run in the eighth on a sacrifice fly by Young, again plating Ocko, to make it 5-1.

That run proved decisive. In the ninth, Dayton’s MacDougall connected for his two-run shot off Cawley, scoring Chris Lynch who had walked. The homer cut the deficit to 5-4, but Cawley recovered to strike out David Wouters and Joe Bello to end the game.

Delgado took the loss for Dayton, surrendering five runs on eight hits over 7 1/3 innings. Austin McNabb provided 1 2/3 innings of scoreless relief for the Flyers.

For Fordham, Ocko went 2-for-3 with three runs scored, while Donnelly drove in two runs. MacDougall and Mike Lucarelli, who hit a solo homer in the fourth, provided the power for Dayton.

The most important part of the game was the collective performance of the Fordham bullpen. Following Dowd’s departure, Cawley and Stewart combined for four perfect innings, retiring all 12 batters they faced with six strikeouts. This stretch from the fifth through the eighth innings completely halted Dayton’s momentum, preserved a narrow lead, and allowed Fordham to build what became a necessary cushion. Their dominance ensured that despite MacDougall’s late home run, the Flyers’ comeback attempt started from too deep a hole in the final inning.

Fordham will host Manhattan on Tuesday. Dayton travels to Toledo on Wednesday.