The Atlantic 10 baseball series opened on a crisp evening in the Bronx, where St. Bonaventure faced off against Fordham in the first of three matchups.
Fordham drew first blood, building a 3‑1 advantage by the third inning thanks to timely hits from Mason Dean and Taylor Kirk, who each contributed runs and RBIs.
The Bonnies chipped away, with Tommy McAndrews delivering a two‑run homer in the sixth to trim the deficit, and Joey Calabretti following with a two‑run blast that narrowed the gap further.
A late surge in the ninth
A five‑run ninth inning turned the tide; Calabretti’s three‑run walk‑off homer sealed an 8‑5 victory, sending the crowd into celebration.
Pitching was a highlight, as Fordham’s Chase Hanawalt dominated with ten strikeouts over seven innings, while relief pitcher Declan Cawley struggled, surrendering four runs in just 1.1 innings of work.
Taylor Kirk finished the game 4‑for‑4 at the plate, adding a double, a run scored and an RBI, underscoring the offensive fireworks.
The win puts St. Bonaventure ahead in the series and sets a competitive tone for the remaining games, while Fordham will look to regroup after a hard‑fought loss.