Box Score April 24, 2010
AMBLER, Pa. - With a 7-0 victory over the Temple Owls on Saturday afternoon in Ambler, Pa., the Fordham softball team tied its all-time win record with 39 victories. With the Atlantic 10 victory, helped by three home runs and on point pitching, the Rams' overall record is 39-8, matching Fordham's 39 wins from 2007. In 2007, the Rams went 39-20. The seven-run shut out over the Owls also extends Fordham's win streak to 13 games.
With the win, Fordham is also 12-2 in the Atlantic 10. Temple falls to 14-25 overall, 3-7 in the league.
Just as it was on Friday, the Rams established their lead early, scoring two runs in their first at bat. Junior Jocelyn Dearborn (New Milford, Pa./Blue Ridge) led off for Fordham and said goodbye to the ball as she hit a home run to left center field in her first at bat. With two outs and runners at second and third, junior catcher Meghan Shager (Conklin, N.Y./Susquehanna Valley) hit a single to left center to score rookie Jamie LaBovick (Peoria, Ariz./Sunrise Mountain) from third. LaBovick got on base after being hit by a pitch.
With sophomore Jen Mineau (Schaghticoke, N.Y./Hoosic Valley Central) starting on the mound for the second-consecutive day, it was sure to be a quick game as she and the Fordham defense took down the first Temple batters, 1-2-3. Through five innings, Mineau allowed only three hits tallied 11 strikeouts and shut down the side twice.
The Rams wouldn't score again until the fifth inning, when Fordham poured it on with a two-run homer from junior secondbaseman Beckah Wiggins (Conklin, N.Y./Susquehanna Valley). LaBovick led off the inning with a single to right field, on the bases for Wiggins' full-count home run to left center, just like Dearborn. On the next at bat, senior Erin Fisher (Woodinville, Wash./Woodinville) walked her way to first base after a full count. Designated player, sophomore Nicole Callahan (Freehold, N.J./Freehold Township) singled to right field to score Fisher and give Fordham a 5-0 lead through four and a half innings.
In the sixth inning it must have been déjà vu for the Owls, especially for pitcher Kristen Marris who had just come in to pitch two innings of relief, as sophomore Jessica Richards (Trabuco Canyon, Calif./Mission Viejo) led off Fordham's at bat with a full count solo homer, her second of the series, third of the season and sixth for the Rams against the Owls this weekend. After being down on the count, 0-2, Richards fouled off four pitches and allowed three balls before she connected for a shot to left field. Sophomore Lindsey Kay Bright (Federal Way, Wash./Decatur) followed Richards with a single to left center. Bright stole second during Dearborn's at bat, the made it to third on a wild pitch. Wiggins tallied her third RBI of the day with a two-out single to the Rams' sweet spot, left field, scoring Bright from third.
Junior transfer Chelsea Plimpton (East Amherst, N.Y./Williamsville South (St. John's)) came in to relieve Mineau in the bottom of the sixth. She allowed no hits through two innings of relief, and struck out two swinging to preserve the shut out. Mineau has been a part of 17 shut outs (12 on her own), and Plimpton has had a hand in four.
The Rams had three more base runners on in the top of the seventh, but the seven-run lead was enough for Fordham as the Rams' shut out their third-straight opponent.
Richards was 2-for-4 on the day with an RBI and a run. Wiggins was also 2-for-4 with three RBI and a run scored. Callahan too was 2-for-4 with one RBI.
Up next, Fordham will remain in Philadelphia and play a Sunday doubleheader against the St. Joseph's Hawks. St Joseph's is 21-14 overall and 5-5 in the Atlantic 10 heading into Sunday's games. The Hawks are coming off a two-day sweep of George Washington, where they won 3-0 on Friday and 1-0 on Saturday.
