The Fordham baseball team dropped its first Atlantic 10 (A10) conference series to the Saint Louis University (SLU) Billikens, losing one game on Friday, April 1, and splitting a doubleheader on Saturday. The Rams now hold a 6-18 record in a 2022 season that has not yet gone to plan.

Though Fordham’s nonconference schedule this year has been difficult by design, it’s unlikely that the team expected a cold streak of this duration. The team has been swept in four of six weekend series and currently holds a 0-11 record on the road. Taking on the Billikens at Houlihan Park, the Rams appeared more competitive than they have in recent weeks but still struggled at points throughout the weekend.

In almost all of the Rams’ losses this season, lapses in pitching have proven to be the deciding factor. But in their first game against Saint Louis, pitchers performed well while the offense stalled. Billikens pitcher Logan Schmitt, SLU ’22, kept the Rams scoreless for the first seven innings, allowing six hits while striking out seven batters.

Mexico has been a bright spot for the team this year, batting .291 in his debut season.

Fordham finally managed to get on the board in the eighth inning when Sebastian Mexico, Fordham College at Rose Hill (FCRH) ’25, singled to center and drove in C.J. Vazquez, Gabelli Graduate School of Business ’22, from third. 

Mexico has been a bright spot for the team this year, batting .291 in his debut season. But his efforts were in vain on Friday, as runs in the fourth and seventh innings against relief pitcher Cameron Knox, FCRH ’24, proved to be enough of a cushion for the Billikens. The Rams failed to score again in the ninth and fell 2-1.

Following the slow start on Friday, Fordham was sluggish again in its first game Saturday as the team was kept scoreless for the first five innings. But going into the bottom of the eighth, the Rams only trailed 3-1 as the pitching held again, thanks in large part to Brooks Ey, FCRH ’24. After four straight losses to start the season, Ey improved significantly this weekend, allowing three runs in eight innings while striking out nine batters.

Up to this point, Fordham’s only run had come after Nico Boza, FCRH ’24, scored on two consecutive throwing errors. But in his first pinch-hitting appearance of the season, Jack Harnisch, Gabelli School of Business at Rose Hill (GSBRH) ’22, broke through with a two-run home run in the eighth inning to tie the game 3-3. Fordham scored another run later in the inning to take a one-run lead and Ben Kovel, GSBRH ’23, closed out the ninth inning to earn the team its first conference victory.

In the second game of the Saturday doubleheader, Fordham’s struggles at the plate did not go unpunished, as the Billikens took a commanding 7-0 lead after five innings and didn’t look back. The Rams only got their second hit during a small rally in the bottom of the sixth inning, and a three-run ninth inning was not nearly enough to prevent the 7-4 defeat.

With a 1-2 record in conference play, Fordham’s problems on the diamond this weekend were obvious. Batters did very little against Saint Louis’ starting pitchers, giving the Rams’ pitching staff too much to manage over the course of three games. But the team’s obvious flaws may diminish significant sources of optimism.

Ey’s lengthy performance comes at a time when Fordham is growing desperate for someone to step up as an ace pitcher.

In his first year with the team, Mexico has hit his way to the leadoff position in the lineup and earned five hits in 13 at-bats against Saint Louis. Harnisch’s timely home run may also restore some confidence for the second baseman, who entered the series with just one hit since March 20. 

Meanwhile, Ey’s lengthy performance on the mound in the second game was stellar and comes at a time when Fordham is growing desperate for someone to step up as an ace pitcher. 

A game of baseball is seldom won by a single person or even several people. Individual highlights managed to earn the team one victory this weekend, but more improvement is necessary before the team begins to win series as it has in the past. The Rams will be back on the road next weekend when they take on the University of Massachusetts in a three-game series starting Friday, April 8.

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