Box Score 1 |
Box Score 2 April 14, 2010
BRONX, N.Y. - The Fordham softball teams swept the Fairleigh Dickinson Knights on Wednesday, with a 5-1 victory in the first game and a 8-0 shut out win in the second. With the win, the Rams end their 11-game home stand with a 9-2 record and advance their current win streak to six games.
Senior centerfielder Erin Fisher (Woodinville, Wash./Woodinville) ended the second game early for the Rams, with a three-run homer hit to right field in the bottom of the sixth inning to give Fordham an 8-0 victory. Fisher was 3-for-7 against Fairleigh Dickinson, crossing the plate twice. Her home run was the 12th for the senior this season.
Junior catcher Meghan Shager (Conklin, N.Y./Susquehanna Valley) had two triples in the doubleheader, one to clear the bases and plate three runs and the other for two RBI. Overall, Shager was 4-for-6 and tallied six runs. Junior shortstop Samantha Pellechio (Lebanon, N.J./North Hunterdon) was 4-for-6 against the Knights, scoring three runs and recording a double and one RBI.
Junior Chelsea Plimpton (East Amherst, N.Y./Williamsville South (St. John's)) earned the win in the first game, striking six batters in seven innings of work. Plimpton allowed five hits for one run with three walks.
Sophomore Jen Mineau (Schaghticoke, N.Y./Hoosic Valley Central) earned the win in the second game with her eighth complete game shut out victory of the season. Mineau struck out 14 batters for 324 K's on the season. Mineau is three strikeouts away from 500 for her career.
The Rams allowed just one run with 10 hits in 13 innings against the Knights. With the win Fordham advances to 32-8 overall, while Fairleigh Dickinson falls to 11-23 on the season.
Fordham 5, Fairleigh Dickson 1
With two outs in the first inning, Shager hit a three-RBI triple to deep right center to score junior Jocelyn Dearborn (New Milford, Pa./Blue Ridge), junior Beckah Wiggins (Conklin, N.Y./Susquehanna Valley) and rookie Jamie LaBovick (Peoria, Ariz./Sunrise Mountain). Dearborn led off the game with a double to centerfield that just hit the yellow line on the outfield fence. Wiggins walked to first base on the full count and LaBovick hit a single to left field that dropped just outside the grass in between the FDU fielders. Fordham finished their first at bat of the game up 3-0.
Fordham rallied on two outs again in the third inning as Pellechio doubled to left field. Shager tallied her fourth RBI of the game as she singled to the shortstop, scoring Pellechio, as the ball dropping in between the FDU shortstop and the umpire on the bases.
In the fourth inning, Rams got their fifth run of the game, once again with on the board as Fisher singled to left field scoring sophomore Lindsey Kay Bright (Federal Way, Wash./Decatur). Bright led off the inning with a single up the middle. Fisher stole second on Wiggins' at bat, her 13th stolen base of the season. Wiggins walked, and both Fisher and Wiggins advanced to third and second on a wild pitch. LaBovick struck out on the 1-2 count, leaving both Rams' runners on the bases. Fordham led 5-0 through four innings.
FDU got their first and only run on the board in the top of the sixth inning off a sac fly. Kirsten Shreve doubled to left center to lead off the inning, Kristen Kinneer and Caitlin Bradac walked around a Mikayla Fernandez fly out to Fisher. Bradac's walk loaded the bases for Alexandra Schubert's fly ball centerfield. Fisher caught the ball but it was long enough for Shreve to tag up and run home. Plimpton got herself out of the inning grabbing the fly ball in front of the circle for the last out of the inning.
Fordham 8, Fairleigh Dickson 0 (6)
Fordham scored one run in the second and one in the third to take a 2-0 lead through three innings. After starting the second inning with one out, Pellechio singled to the shortstop to get on base. Shager hit a single to second base to advance Pellechio. Bases were loaded as rookie Jamie Pollak (Chandler, Ariz./Corona del Sol) reached on a fielder's choice by the FDU shortstop. The Knights' firstbaseman missed the throw by the shortstop and Pellechio scored on the missed throw. The Knights were able to get out of the inning, only allowing Pellechio's unearned run with two swinging strikeouts.
In the third inning, with Wiggins on base, LaBovick singled to left field to advance Wiggins to second base. Pellechio singled up the middle to score Wiggins for an RBI to give the Rams a 2-0 advantage over the Knights through three innings.
Through the first three innings, Mineau was responsible for all nine outs, four with called strikeouts, five swinging. In the fourth inning, Mineau struck out her 10th batter, as Bright made the field's first out with a fly ball to left field. Mineau forced the final batter to swing and miss to end the fifth with no runs scored for the Knights. In the fifth inning, the sophomore hurler opened with a swinging K, her 12th of the game. After a ground ball play to Pellechio at shortstop, Mineau ended the inning with her 13th strikeout of the game, ninth swinging.
In the bottom of the fifth, Fisher reached first base on a fielding error by the thirdbaseman as the ball bounces out and over her glove. Fisher takes advantage of the botched catch to take an extra base. Wiggins singles up the middle, hard and fast enough to score Fisher from second base. Fisher's run was unearned. With two outs after LaBovick struck out, Pellechio singled to right field, which advanced Wiggins to third base. Pellechio stole second, putting both her and Shager in scoring position and ready for Shager as the catcher hit her second triple of the afternoon scoring them both for two RBI. Both runs went unearned and Fordham would have a 5-0 lead with two innings left to play.
After a dangerous sixth inning for FDU, with three hits and the defense leaving all three batters on base, the Rams decided to call it a day with a walk off three-run home run by Fisher. Rookie Katherine VanBenschoten (Cranford, N.J./Cranford) led off with a single up the middle. Bright followed up with a bunt single and advanced VanBenschoten to second. Fisher came up to the plate and ended the game on the first pitch of her at bat, sending the ball to the opposite side of the field to seal the deal on the doubleheader sweep.
Up next, the Rams will play four games in three days on the road, taking a tour of historic cities as they return to Atlantic 10 action. Fordham first faces George Washington in a two-day, two-game series. The Rams and Colonials will begin their series on Friday, April 16 at 4 p.m. They will finish their short stint Washington, D.C., with a game at noon on Saturday. The Rams will then travel to Philadelphia on Sunday to face La Salle in a doubleheader starting at noon.
