Nolan Gaige Has Four Hits & Homers in University of Albany Baseball's Doubleheader Sweep of Fordham - UAlbany Sports 2011

Bronx, N.Y. - Nolan Gaige recorded a hit and scored a run in the first game, then went 3-for-4 with a home run in the nightcap to lead UAlbany to a doubleheader sweep of Fordham in non-conference baseball action on Sunday afternoon at Houlihan Park. The Great Danes held off a late Ram rally with a 4-3 win in the first game and posted a 6-4 comeback victory in the late contest.

UAlbany took a 2-0 lead in the third inning of game one, scoring two unearned runs on a Fordham fielding error. The Great Danes added a single run in the fifth, taking advantage of another of the Rams' six errors, which allowed Ralph Rizzo to make it home after drawing a walk earlier in the inning. In the seventh, Brian Bullard recorded a sacrifice fly to center that allowed Rizzo to score his second run of the game and give the Great Danes a 4-0 advantage.

Fordham made a late rally in the bottom of the ninth, scoring three runs. Chris Walker led off with a single and advanced to second on a walk issued to Stephen McSherry. With two outs, Ryan Maghini knocked a triple into right center to score both baserunners and came home on Alex Kenny's base hit. Reliever Austin Chase worked his way out of the jam by inducing a pop up by Nick Martinez to end the game in the Great Danes' favor.

Zach Kraham earned his first win on the mound for the Great Danes, going seven innings, scattering four hits and fanning four without allowing a run. Max Krakowiak took the loss for Fordham after allowing three runs in six innings of work.

Fordham scored first in the late game, putting three runs on the board in the second. Walker led off with a double and scored on a wild pitch. Maghini singled into right center, scoring Tim Swatek, then came home on a Martinez base hit. UAlbany scored one run in the third on an RBI single by Jeff Welsh that scored Gaige to cut the lead to two runs. The Rams scored their fourth run of the game in the bottom of the inning as Ryan Lee and Walker knocked out consecutive singles. Ryan David then recorded and RBI-single to score Lee for Fordham's final run.

UAlbany responded with a run in the top of the fourth and tied the game at 4-4 with two runs in the top of the fifth. Josy Espinal scored Pete DiResta with a sacrifice bunt in the fourth and Gaige smashed a two-run homer over the right field fence that scored Vincent Martorelli. The Great Danes tacked on single runs in the sixth and the eighth to set the final score. Espinal scored Mike Tirri with a sacrifice fly in the sixth, while a Joe Ilacqua double sent Kyle Crean home in the eighth.

Kasceim Graham improved to 2-0 on the season with a six-inning performance on the mound for the Great Danes, striking out six opposing batters. Matt Dybus earned his first save of the season, allowing just two hits without a run in three innings of work. Chris Pike took the loss on the mound for Fordham (16-11) after allowing five earned runs in six innings of action.

Courtesy: UAlbany Sports Information