Box Score 1 |
Box Score 2 Feb. 25, 2010
Cathedral City, Calif. - The Fordham softball team not only upset but shut out the No. 19/24 Texas A&M Aggies, 4-0, on the opening night of the Palm Springs Classic hosted by Oregon State University in Cathedral City, Calif., Thursday night at the Big League Dreams Complex. After a scoreless five innings, it came down to the fundamentals of pitching, smart base running and big bats at the right time for Fordham.
In the two-game night, Fordham lost the second game to San Diego State, 3-1.
The win over Texas A&M is the third-ever victory over a ranked opponent in Fordham history, it is also the third win over a top 25 team in the past two seasons. Last year, Fordham defeated No. 24/20 Massachusetts, 5-4, on May 3 and No. 12/14 Fresno State, 5-2, on Feb. 6 at the same venue. The 4-0 victory over the Aggies is Fordham's largest margin of victory over a top 20 team.
The 4-0 victory was also a first for the Rams in their short series with the Aggies. Previously, Texas A&M held a 3-0 advantage over Fordham, although the teams have not played each other since 2006.
Fordham handed Texas A&M just their second loss on a 10-2 season, and defeated junior pitcher Rhi Kliesing for her first time in 2010. Kliesing is 6-1 overall.
Both the Rams and the Aggies' defense held the each other scoreless until the fifth inning. In the first four innings of play, sophomore hurler Jen Mineau (Shaghticoke, N.Y.) struck out 10 batters in the first four innings, allowing just two hits in the 0-0 stalemate.
Senior leftfielder Erin Fisher (Woodinville, Wash.) got Fordham started with a lead off walk on a full count. Sophomore leftfielder Jessica Richards' (Trabuco Canyon, Calif.) sac bunt was fielded by the Aggies, but they chose to let her get on base and go after Fisher. Fisher was too fast for the Aggie defense, as both Rams were safe with Fisher in scoring position.
Sophomore designated player Nicole Callahan's (Freehold, N.J.) laid down a perfect bunt to get to first while advancing both runners. Sophomore Jo Krasinsky (Doylestown, Pa.), who came in to pinch hit for junior catcher Meghan Shager (Conklin, N.Y.), struck out to put one out on the board. Junior third baseman Jocelyn Dearborn, the lead off hitter, came up to the plate with a hard hit single to right field on the second pitch to send in Fisher for an RBI and a 1-0 Fordham lead.
Sophomore centerfielder Lindsey Kay Bright (Federal Way, Wash.) knocked in Fordham's second run with a sac fly to left field on a 1-2 count. Bright sent in Richards from third, but Callahan who was making the run from first to third got thrown out while going for the extra base.
In the sixth inning it was three up, three down as Mineau struck out the first two batters and Krasinsky caught an infield fly.
The sixth inning helped the Rams to another two runs as rookie Jamie LaBovick (Peoria, Ariz.), playing first base, sent a home run to left field, scoring herself and junior shortstop Samantha Pellechio (Lebanon, N.J.) who singled to shortstop after a ball and two foul balls.
In the final inning, Texas A&M subbed in Melissa Dumezich, who came in to pitch for the Aggies. It seemed to work as Callahan, Shager and Dearborn couldn't get a handle on it as two struck out and Dearborn flied out to right field on the first pitch.
Through seven innings, Mineau allowed just three hits and struck out 15 in 24 batters faced. For Mineau (3-0) it was her third shutout of the season, and her second complete game shutout. Pellechio went 3-for-3 with one run scored. LaBovick went 1-for-3 with her home run with two RBI. Callahan also went 1-for-3.
In the second game of the evening, Fordham couldn’t repeat the success from game one as they lost 3-1 to the San Diego State Aztecs
The Aztecs got the board first in the opening inning of play as Justeen Maeva singled up the middle scoring Traci Wolf before getting the third out for San Diego State. Shager threw her out at second to Pellechio’s waiting glove.
Fordham answered right back in the second inning as Fisher homered to center field in her first at bat.
The Rams threatened again in the third as Dearborn got as close as third base and Richards was thrown out by the Aztec leftfielder trying to score at run from first base.
The Rams switched pitchers to junior Chelsea Plimpton (East Amherst, N.Y.) in the middle of the third inning as LaBovick moved to first base. Plimpton got Fordham out of the inning safely, despite the Aztec runner threatening at third base. Plimpton struck out two of the next three subsequent batters, and assisted with a put out, picking up a sac bunt.
Maeva hit a homerun to center field on her next at bat in the fourth inning to give the Aztecs the go-ahead run. In the sixth inning, Maeva sent in another run for San Diego State with a single to the left side with one out on the board.
In the seventh inning, Samantha Beasley struck out the first two Fordham batters before Dearborn reached first on an Aztec error. Beasley struck out Bright to end the game in favor of the Aztecs, 3-1.
Dearborn went 2-for-4 with one RBI against San Deigo State. Fisher was 2-for-3 with one run and one RBI. Defensively, Shager had three assists as catcher.
LaBovick pitched two innings and allowed three hits with one strike out. Plimpton also pitched two innings with one hit for one run and two strike outs. Plimpton (0-2) was awarded the loss. Mineau came in the fifth inning and got hit three times and struck out two in six at bats.
Beasley came in during the fifth inning to get the save for the Aztecs who will go into Friday’s games 8-5.
Splitting games in the opening day of the Palm Springs Classic, Fordham will go into Friday’s doubleheader 4-2 on the season.
Up next in the Palm Springs Classic, Fordham will face No. 13/14 Cal at 6:30 p.m. (ET) and host school Oregon State in the 11:30 p.m. (ET) slot on Friday.
