BRIDGEPORT, Conn. – Cody Doyle's walk off RBI ground out with the bases loaded was the difference in a 2-1 pitchers dual win over Fordham in Sacred Heart's home opener at the Ballpark at Harbor Yard on Tuesday afternoon. The walk off gave SHU its first back-to-back victories of the year to move its record to 3-8.

Victor Sorrento started the ninth inning rally with a single through the left side. Zack Short then walked, forcing Fordham to call to the bullpen for Anthony DiMeglio. The first batter he faced, PJ DeFilippo, attempted to move the runners up with a sacrifice bunt, but instead the Rams elected to go for the lead out at third base only to have Sorrento beat the throw and load the bases with none out. DiMeglio was able to get a strikeout, but he was unsuccessful in sending the game to extra innings as Doyle sent a grounder to second that Fordham was unable to turn a double play on.

The run was the first since Fordham had evened the score at one in the third inning on Matthew Kozuch's two-out RBI single. Reiss Knehr had tripled to leadoff the inning but was nearly stranded when Jesus Medina got the next two outs. 

That was lone blemish for the Sacred Heart pitching staff. Medina scattered five hits and struck out three in five innings of work. Jeff Stoddard then came on for a perfect sixth before Jason Foley pitched the final three innings for his first win of the season, allowing just two hits and striking out five. In two of those three innings a runner reached second base with two outs only to be stranded.

Fordham starter Kirk Haynes Jr. went toe to toe with Medina, hurling six innings of one-run ball while striking out seven. His lone hiccup came in the first after Ted Shaw led off with a double. After advancing to third on an error, Medina singled him in to give SHU a first run without recording an out.

Shaw was the lone hitter with two hits on the afternoon in a game that featured just 13 total. After Fordham's third inning run, seven of the next 12 at bats resulted in 1-2-3 innings. Only three times in those 12 at bats did a team advance a runner into scoring position, with SHU doing so in the fifth and the Rams in the seventh and ninth. Not one of those three runners got to third.

The Pioneers return to the road this weekend, facing the first of three Philadelphia area schools on Friday at 3 pm at St. Joseph's.