Preview: Fordham at Rhode Island (Atlantic 10)

SOUTH KINGSTOWN, R.I. (Interstat) — The Fordham Rams and Rhode Island Rams meet Saturday in a pivotal Atlantic 10 series at Bill Beck Field, with first pitch scheduled for the afternoon and again in the evening as the teams play a doubleheader.

Fordham (23-24) enters on a high note after defeating Rhode Island 8-5 on Friday. The Rams have won five of their last six games overall. Rhode Island (18-26) looks to bounce back after dropping the series opener.

Weather forecast calls for 59 degrees and cloudy skies.

Players to watch

Fordham first baseman/right fielder Joey Donnelly is red hot. In Friday’s win, he went 3-for-5 with two home runs and three RBIs. Over his last 10 games, Donnelly is batting .375 (12-for-32) with four homers and 11 RBIs.

Rhode Island catcher Danny Leikus also had a strong performance Friday, going 4-for-4 with two RBIs. He’s hitting .333 (8-for-24) over his last six games with one home run and six RBIs.

Series context

Friday’s game featured strong pitching performances. Fordham’s Beau Elson threw six innings, allowing four earned runs with three strikeouts, while Declan Cawley earned the save with three scoreless innings. For Rhode Island, Braden Perry threw 2.1 scoreless innings in relief.

Projections

Interstat’s game simulator projects an 8-4 Fordham win, but Interstat’s ELO system gives Rhode Island a 62.5% probability of victory.

Looking ahead

Fordham continues its road trip Sunday at Rhode Island before returning home May 8-10 for a three-game series against Saint Louis. Rhode Island hosts Fordham again Sunday before traveling to Davidson for a weekend series May 8-10.