Fordham at Saint Bonaventure
KNAPP CREEK, N.Y. (Interstat) — Tommie McAndrews drove in four runs with three hits, including a homer, and Fordham outlasted Saint Bonaventure 12-10 in an Atlantic 10 slugfest Saturday afternoon at Fred Handler Park.
The Rams, now 25-30, collected 16 hits to the Bonnies’ 13 in a game that saw the lead change hands multiple times. Fordham had lost the series opener Thursday but rebounded with a 21-2 rout Friday before Saturday’s seesaw affair.
Saint Bonaventure, which fell to 13-36, saw its late comeback fall short.
Fordham jumped ahead in the first inning. After Taylor Kirk struck out, Tommie McAndrews singled and Anthony Grabau also singled. Joey Donnelly then doubled down the right-field line, driving in both runners. A throwing error by Saint Bonaventure’s pitcher later allowed Donnelly to advance to third, but he was left stranded when Mason Dean grounded out.
The Rams added two more unearned runs in the third. With two outs, Grabau and McAndrews reached on hit-by-pitches. A passed ball moved both into scoring position, and Donnelly reached on a throwing error by the pitcher, allowing both runs to score.
Saint Bonaventure answered in the bottom of the third. Chris Hoalcraft walked, Manuel Castro was hit by a pitch, and Joey Calabretti sacrificed them into scoring position. Chris LaMothe singled to score Hoalcraft, and Alex Hebenstreit singled to plate Castro. After a pitching change, Ryan Kucy hit a sacrifice fly to score LaMothe, cutting the deficit to 4-3.
Fordham extended its lead in the fourth. Ernie Little doubled, and after a groundout, McAndrews homered to left-center, scoring two runs to make it 6-3.
Saint Bonaventure answered again in the fourth. Hoalcraft homered to left field, his solo shot making it 6-4. Later, with two outs, Calabretti singled and advanced on an error, then scored on a throwing error by the Rams’ third baseman, trimming the lead to 6-5.
In the fifth, Fordham loaded the bases but failed to score. Saint Bonaventure tied the game in the sixth. Castro doubled, Calabretti doubled to drive him in, and after a sacrifice bunt, Antonio Cordeiro hit a sacrifice fly to score Calabretti, making it 7-6.
The Rams regained the lead in the seventh. With two outs, Dean Mason reached on a throwing error by the second baseman, and Tim Ford singled to score him, giving Fordham an 8-7 advantage.
Saint Bonaventure struck back in the bottom of the seventh. Ryan Kucy singled, and after a sacrifice bunt, Anthony Fernandez doubled to score pinch-runner Gavin Constantine. Castro then doubled to plate Fernandez, giving the Bonnies a 9-8 lead.
Fordham’s most important outburst came in the top of the ninth. After two quick outs, Dean Mason singled and Tim Ford singled. Jack Rubin walked to load the bases, and Ernie Little singled to score Mason. Kirk Taylor then singled to left field, driving in two more runs. McAndrews followed with a single through the left side, scoring Taylor and Little to make it 12-9.
Saint Bonaventure mounted a final threat in the bottom of the ninth. After two quick outs, Joey Calabretti homered to left field, his second RBI of the game, pulling the Bonnies to 12-10. But Chris LaMothe struck out swinging to end the game.
For Fordham, McAndrews went 3 for 4 with a home run and four RBIs. Taylor Kirk had three hits and two RBIs, and Joey Donnelly drove in three runs. Andrew Kapica, Aric Berg, and Robbie Stewart combined for six innings of relief, with Berg striking out two in a scoreless eighth.
For Saint Bonaventure, Calabretti was 3 for 5 with a homer and two RBIs, while serving as the designated hitter and later pitching the ninth. Manuel Castro and Chris Hoalcraft each added two hits, with Hoalcraft homering. Mark Holm pitched 1 1/3 scoreless innings in relief.
Interstat’s game simulator had projected a final score of Fordham 3, Saint Bonaventure 1, and Interstat’s ELO system gave the Rams a 62.40 percent probability to win.