Box Score April 9, 2010
Box Score | Photo Gallery 
| 
04/09/10 - Saint Louis Highlights
BRONX, N.Y. - The softball game between the Fordham Rams and the Saint Louis Billikens ended exactly how it started, with a swinging strikeout thrown by sophomore pitcher Jen Mineau (Schaghticoke, N.Y./Hoosic Valley Central). Mineau, backed by the solid arm of junior Samantha Pellechio (Lebanon, N.J./North Hunterdon) at shortstop, held the Billikens to no runs for Mineau's eighth shutout of the season, as the Rams won 3-0 to hand Saint Louis their first Atlantic 10 loss on Friday evening at the Bahoshy Softball Complex at Rose Hill.
Mineau (19-5) struck out the side in two innings and tallied 12 strikeouts for a season total of 300. The sophomore, a USA Softball Player of the Year Top 25 Finalist, is the only Fordham pitcher to record 200 or more strikeouts in a single season. With a runner threatening at third in the seventh inning, it was Mineau who sealed the win for Fordham, making Saint Louis' Alyson Brand swing and miss for the final out of the game.
Junior Jocelyn Dearborn (New Milford, Pa./Blue Ridge) went 2-for-3 and led off scoring for the Rams in the second inning with a lead off home run over the yellow strip of the fence in left field. The homer was Dearborn's fifth of the season.
With the wins, Fordham is 29-8 overall and advances to 5-2 in conference play. The Billikens are 18-15 overall and are 6-1 in the league. Kelcie Matesa (9-8) recorded the loss for the Billikens.
Scoreless in the first inning, Dearborn threatened early with a single to the shortstop as she beat out the throw to first base. Dearborn advanced on a play at first base on a hit from Jamie LaBovick (Peoria, Ariz./Sunrise Mountain). Sophomore Lindsey Kay Bright (Federal Way, Wash./Decatur) struck out for the first out of the inning. With two outs and Dearborn in scoring position, senior Erin Fisher (Woodinville, Wash./Woodinville) walked on a full count, and Dearborn advanced to third on the final wild pitch of the walk. No runs would score however, as Pellechio grounded out to second base.
The scoreless tie remained as Mineau struck out the side in both the second and third innings. In the second, all three batters swung for the out. Mineau beat out the full count on Rachel Faletto for the swinging strikeout to end the inning. In the third, it was two swinging and one called as Mineau struck out the side for the 29th time this season.
Fordham scored their only runs of the game in the third inning as Dearborn hit her fifth home run of the season, with a walk off, long, high shot to left field. With one out, LaBovick singled to the shortstop, beating out the throw from Billiken shortstop Kerri Dockins. Fisher walked for the second time on full count as LaBovick advanced to second. Wiggins got up to the plate an knocked a long ball to center field for a solid double, scoring LaBovick and Fisher to take a 3-0 lead over the Billikens. Wiggins tried to extend the hit to a triple, but got thrown out by Dockins at the cutoff to Alyson Brand for the second out of the inning. Pellechio grounded out to Dockins for the final out of the inning, but the Rams' damage was done and Fordham went into the fourth inning up 3-0.
No runs would score throughout the rest of the game, despite the Billikens threatening in the sixth and seventh innings. In the sixth inning, Saint Louis' Laura Bohning came in to pinch hit and reached first after being hit by a pitch. Jessica Buschjost singled with a bunt advancing Bohning to second. With the tying run at the plate, and no outs, the Rams got out of the inning as junior Beckah Wiggins (Conklin, N.Y./Susquehanna Valley) caught in infield fly ball, Pellechio made a play at first and Mineau took down the final batter with a swinging strikeout.
In the seventh, the Billikens had a runner on second with one out on the board. Pellechio threw out the next batter scooping up the ball off a tip from Mineau to get the out at first, but not before SLU's Liz Jones advanced to third base behind her. Mineau took the game into her own hands, striking out Brand for the final out of the inning.
Fisher walked on all three at bats, all on a full count. Wiggins tallied two RBI to advance her season total to 43. Pellechio assisted four outs.
The Rams and Billikens will be back in action for the second game of their two-game set on Saturday, April 10. First pitch is slated for noon at the Bahoshy Softball Complex at Murphy Field.
