Box Score Feb. 8, 2009
Box Score
Palm Springs, Calif. -
What started out on a high note with a win over nationally ranked Fresno State on Friday night ended on a bit of a down note on Sunday, as the Fordham softball team fell to 14th-ranked California, 11-7, in its final game of the Cathedral City Kickoff in Palm Springs, California.
With the loss, the Rams fall to 2-3 on the year while Cal remains perfect at 4-0.
The Bears took an early 6-0 lead, using three hits and taking advantage of two Fordham errors to score six runs against Ram starter Jen Mineau in the bottom of the first. Valerie Arioto opened the inning with a single and Shannon Thomas reached when her sacrifice attempt was misplayed, putting runners on second and third. A walk to Jamia Reid loaded the bases and Gina Leomiti reached on the second error of the inning, allowing Arioto and Thomas to score. After the runners moved up a base on a double steal, Mineau struck out Vernae Sevilla and got Sanoe Kekahuna to foul out before Frani Echavarria singled to plate both runners. Taylor Kelly followed with a home run to left center to put Cal up 6-0.
The Bears made it a 9-0 game with a run in the second, on a steal of home, and two in the third, before the Rams battled back with a six-spot in the top of the fourth. Erin Fisher opened the Fordham fourth with a single and Megan Waldron moved her to second with a ground out. Maggie Seidel was then hit by a pitch and Melissa Andrews singled to load the bases for the Rams. Consecutive walks to Jessica Richards and Jocelyn Dearborn forced in Fisher and Seidel and, one out later, Jessica Weckenman singled to deliver Andrews and Richards and make it a 9-4 game. Mary Beth Puccio followed with a double to score Dearborn and Weckenman and cut the Fordham deficit to three, 9-6.
California came back to score twice in the bottom of the fourth on Kekahuna two-run home run before Fordham closed out the scoring with a run in the top of the sixth on an RBI double from Samantha Pellechio.
Weckenman finished the game 2-for-4 with two RBI while Pellechio went 2-for-4 with a double and RBI and Puccio drove in a pair of runs.
The Rams will next be in action on Saturday, February 21st as the open play at the FAIU "Strike Out Cancer" Tournament by taking on Providence at 4:00 p.m.
