Box Score April 16, 2010
WASHINGTON, D.C. - Fordham's sophomore pitcher Jen Mineau (Schaghticoke, N.Y./Hoosic Valley Central) recorded her 10th shutout of the season, and tallied her 500th career strikeout as the Rams defeated the George Washington Colonials, 3-0, in Atlantic 10 action at Mount Vernon Field on Friday afternoon.
Mineau (22-5) tallied 12 strikeouts, 11 swinging, giving her 509 career K's, and 336 for the season. She allowed four hits to shut out the Colonials and record her 13th complete-game shut out. Mineau's been a part of 14 shutouts in 2010, 18 overall. With the win, Mineau's ERA drops to 0.69 for the season.
Junior Jocelyn Dearborn (New Milford, Pa./Blue Ridge) had two of the Rams' three runs, while sophomore Lindsey Kay Bright (Federal Way, Wash./Decatur) scored the third. Senior Erin Fisher (Woodinville, Wash./Woodinville) went a perfect 3-for-3 at the plate for the Rams, with two RBI.
With the 3-0 victory, Fordham advances to 33-8 overall and 7-2 in the conference. George Washington falls to 5-27 overall, 2-9 in the Atlantic 10. The Rams are currently riding a seven-game win streak, with two-straight shut out victories. The Rams' longest win-streak this season was eight games, from March 21 through April 1.
Elaine Nescio (0-7) recorded the loss for the Colonials, pitching 4.1 innings, with three strikeouts, and allowing four hits for three runs.
The Rams started their bats early, getting a double from Fisher in the first inning, but no runs were scored. Mineau made her 26th start of the season with two straight swinging strikeouts. A ground out to shortstop Samantha Pellechio (Lebanon, N.J./North Hunterdon) ended the inning.
In the second inning, the Colonials led off with a hit to left field, but the base runner was thrown out during the third batters at bat by the Rams' junior catcher Meghan Shager (Conklin, N.Y./Susquehanna Valley) trying to steal second. Mineau cleared away the rest of the order with two swinging K's. Mineau took down Autumn Taylor for the first out of the inning with a swinging strikeout, the 500th of her short career with the Rams. With Taylor's out, Mineau became only the second Fordham softball player to strike out 500 batters. Mineau added one more to her tally for the third out of the inning, as Colonial Jordan O'Donnell also went down swinging.
Fordham would score its first run of the game in the third inning. With one out on the board, Dearborn came up to bat and hit a single to center field. With Fisher at the plate, Dearborn stole second to get ready to score. Fisher hit a single through the left side for an RBI as Dearborn crosses the plate. Fisher was able to advance to second on the throw home.
With Fordham up 1-0 through two and a half innings, Mineau once again took matters into her own hands and took down the batters, striking out the side for the 32nd time this season.
The Rams scored two more runs in the fifth inning, as Bright got on base by a first base error. Bright stole second on Dearborn's at bat, and advanced to third on the throw to second. Bright was able to score on Dearborn's point-blank hit back to the pitcher and the Rams took a 2-0 lead.
With Dearborn on second after a stolen base, Fisher was able to add another RBI to her tally, with a single that bounced over Dearborn on the run, and off a new pitcher, Kara Clauss. Fisher was safe and Dearborn scored on the play as Fordham advanced to 3-0 over the Colonials. Fisher was safe and Dearborn scored on the play as Fordham advanced to 3-0 over the Colonials.
The Fordham defense held the Colonials through the next three at bats, with Mineau making four of the outs. Shager threw down another GW steal attempt in the fifth. Dearborn grabbed a double play in the sixth, catching a line drive then throwing to Pellechio at second base. Mineau closed out the game with two swinging strikeouts.
The Rams and Colonials will face eachother on Saturday to complete the two-game series. First pitch is slated for noon at Mount Vernon Softball Complex.
