Baseball Falls to Fordham, 8-3

(Box Score)

3/13/07 --The Long Island University baseball team suffered its third loss in four games at the Papa John's Palm Beach Challenge, falling to Fordham, 8-3. The loss dropped the Blackbirds' record to 1-7 on the season, while Fordham improved to 3-6.

The Rams got on the board first on a three run homer by Jordan Lert. Long Island cut the deficit to one with a pair of runs in the fourth. Senior Robbie Rowen (Rosendale, N.Y.) led off the frame with a double and classmate Trey Bell (Georgetown, Del.) singled to bring him in. After Bell stole second, senior Orlando Cruz (White Plains, N.Y.) walked and Bell then stole third, putting runners on the corners. Freshman James Jones (Brooklyn, N.Y.) singled to plate Bell and make it a 3-2 game.

Fordham took advantage of two Long Island errors to score four unearned runs in the fifth and take a 7-2 lead. The Blackbirds got a run back in the top of the sixth as Bell opened the inning with a single before swiping his third bag of the game. Cruz moved Bell to third with a single and Jones walked to load the bases. Junior Danny Etkin (Brooklyn, N.Y.) then hit a ground ball to first, but the throw to second was wide, allowing Bell to score and keeping the bases loaded, but Long Island could not bring those runners home. The Rams added a run in the seventh.

Jones picked up the loss for the Blackbirds, dropping to 0-2 on the season. He allowed seven runs (three earned) and five hits over 4 2/3 innings. Jones struck out three hitters and walked five. Tom Davis earned the win for Fordham.

Long Island will look to end its trip to the Sunshine State on a positive note when they take on Maine on Wednesday, March 14 at 3:00 p.m.