Box Score

Old Westbury, N.Y. (April 1, 2008) - Junior Denten Neill’s (Wakefield, Ontario) walk-off homerun in the bottom of the ninth inning propelled the NYIT baseball team to a 6-5 win over the Fordham University Rams this afternoon in non-conference action at President’s Field. The Bears snap a four-game losing streak and avenge an early season 10-1 loss at Fordham, improving to 6-8 overall. The loss drops Fordham to 13-11.

Fordham jumped on NYIT starter, junior Andrew Guarassi (Long Island City, N.Y.) for two runs in the top of the first inning. Guarassi loaded the bases on two walks and a single and allowed a two-out two-RBI double to P.J. Como that gave the Rams the 2-0 lead.

The Bears cut the deficit to 2-1 in the bottom of the third inning as sophomore Jerry Smith (Nesconset, N.Y.) led off the inning with a walk and scored on junior Tom Leonick’s (Levittown, N.Y.) single, which was misplayed by the left fielder, Bobby DiNardo.

The Rams tacked on a run in the top of the sixth on a DiNardo sacrifice fly to take a 3-1 lead. The Bears exploded for four runs off of two Fordham relievers in the bottom of the seventh to take a 5-3 lead. Smith led off the inning with a walk and Leonick followed by belting a two-run homerun to left center off of Rams reliever Greg Dimmling to tie the game at 3-3. Dimmling then hit Neill and was relieved by Ryan Sheflott, who walked senior Mike LaLuna (Commack, N.Y.) . Sophomore Christian Dienna (Old Bethpage, N.Y.) delivered a two-run double, scoring Neill and LaLuna, to give the Bears their first lead of the day.

Guarassi settled down after the first inning, allowing just four hits and one run over the next six innings. Freshman Jon Costa (Flushing, N.Y.) relieved Guarassi with one runner on and one out in the top of the eighth inning and allowed a game-tying two run homerun to Como. Costa retired the next two batters to get out of the inning and after the Bears went down in order in the bottom of the eighth, sophomore Chris Colleran (Woodside, N.Y.) relieved Costa for the top of the ninth and retired the side in order with two strikeouts, to set up Neill’s heroics.

Neill drove a 2-2 pitch off of Rams reliever Angle Ponte over the left centerfield fence to give NYIT the 6-5 win. Colleran earned his first win of the season, improving to 1-0.

The Bears scored their six runs on just four hits, with Leonick finishing 2-for-3 with two RBI and a run scored. Guarassi allowed four runs on seven hits with six strikeouts in 7.1 innings of work.

Como led the Rams going 3-for-4 with four RBI and a run scored Eric Resse went 2-for-3 with two runs scored and three stolen bases. Ponte took the loss for the rams, dropping to 0-2.

The Bears return to action tomorrow, hosting No. 22 St. John’s University at 3 p.m.