Box Score Feb. 16, 2008
Box Score
Starkville, Miss. -
After banging out 30 hits in two games on day one of the 2008 Bulldog Round Robin, the Fordham bats were held in check in the first game of day two as the Rams fell to Southern Illinois, 2-0, while in the second game, the Rams rallied against Mississippi State to tie the game at five on a Jocelyn Dearborn two-run home run before falling to the Bulldogs in eight innings, 6-5.
In the first game the hot Fordham bats ran into Southern Illinois' Danielle Glosson and Nikki Waters, who combined to three-hit the Rams as Fordham fell to the Salukis, 2-0.
Southern Illinois (8-1) got on the board early, taking a 1-0 lead in the second as Katie Wilson led off the inning solo home run.
The Salukis tacked on another run in the fourth as Wilson singled and later scored on Jayme Wamsley's double to the wall in left.
The Rams threatened in the seventh as Allison Storc led off the frame with a single and Megan Waldron followed with a double, putting runners on second and third with no outs. After Meghan Shager came on to pinch run for Waldron, Samantha Pellechio hit a ground ball to third and Storc was cut down at the plate trying to score from third. Jessica Weckenman came on to pinch run for Shager but the next hitter, Beckah Wiggins, hit a line drive to first, and Saluki first baseman Lauren Haas was able to double-up Weckenman at first to end the game.
Allison Twarowski took the loss on the mound for the Rams, allowing a pair of runs on seven hits with four strikeouts in the complete-game effort.
In the second game, the Rams rallied from a 5-3 deficit against Mississippi State to tie the game at five, thanks to a two-run Dearborn home run in the top of the seventh, but fell in extra innings for the second time in the tournament.
Fordham took a 3-0 lead in the first when Melissa Andrews led off getting hit by a pitch and Twarowski sacrifice her to second. Mary Beth Puccio then reached on an error, moving Andrews to third and Dearborn brought them both home with a double.
The 3-0 lead was short-lived as Mississippi State scored four times in the bottom of the inning to take a 4-3 lead. Chelsea Bramlett opened the inning with an infield single, stole second and moved to third on a ground out. Courtney Bures followed with a home run to left, cutting the Fordham lead to 3-2. Sammie Jo Bailey then singled and took second on a wild pitch before Brittany Bell came on to pinch run. Hayle Guess reached on an error and the two runners pulled off a double steal, placing runners on second and third. Ali Bainbridge delivered Bell with a single and Guess scored on a Jessie Bailey single with Bainbridge being cut down at the plate on the play.
The Bulldogs added a run in the third on a Guess RBI single to take a 5-3 lead.
With one out in the Fordham seventh, Twarowski doubled and, one out later, scored on Dearborn's home run to force extra innings.
The Rams were unable to score in the top of the eighth while Mississippi State scored the game-winner in the bottom of the inning as Guess, who started the inning on second per the tie-breaking rule, moved to third on a Bainbridge sacrifice and scored on a Bailey single.
Dearborn finished game two 3-for-4 with a double, home run and four RBI while Erin Fisher and Twarowski each collected a pair of hits.
The Rams (1-3) will close out play at the 2008 Bulldog Round Robin by facing Wright State on Sunday morning at 10:00 a.m.
