Box Score May 13, 2010
AMHERST, Mass. - It was the pitching of sophomore pitcher Jen Mineau, a Top 10 Finalist for USA Softball's Player of the Year, that kept Fordham alive and strong through seven innings as she recorded her second perfect game of the year and the first-ever perfect game in the 27-year history of the Atlantic 10 Championships.
With 12 strikeouts, Mineau (Schaghticoke, N.Y./Hoosic Valley Central) led the No. 2 seeded Fordham Rams, past the No. 3 Charlotte 49ers in the second day of the Atlantic 10 Championships, hosted by University of Massachusetts at the UMass Softball Complex.
The perfect game is Mineau's second of the season as she started 2010 with a perfect game at Morehead State on Feb. 20. For the sophomore, it is her second seven-inning perfect game and third overall in her short career. For Fordham, it is the fourth perfect game in school history, with Michelle Schlichtig having the only other at George Washington (April 27, 2003 - 5 innings).
It is Mineau's fifth career no-hitter and third of the season. With the shut out, Mineau has 15 on the season and 18 in her career, making her Fordham's all-time shutout leader.
There have been three other no-hitters in the Atlantic 10 Championship history, but this was the first perfect game. Kelli Arnold (Massachusetts) pitched a no-hitter on May 13, 2004 against Fordham, Ashlee Dobbe (Virginia Tech) had one against Dayton on May 11, 2000 and Danielle Henderson (Massachusetts) recorded a no-no against Temple on May 2, 1997.
With the win, Mineau advances to 31-5 on the season, and the Fordham Rams go to 46-8. The Rams will go on to face the top-seeded Massachusetts Minutewomen in the winners bracket game at noon on Friday.
Mineau struck out the side in the second and fourth inning, shutting down five of the six Charlotte batters swinging. The sophomore has struck out the side 46 times this season.
"I think I started thinking about it [the perfect game] in the sixth inning," said Mineau. "I was throwing a little bit harder than usual and I felt pretty good." Mineau remarked, thinking about the one-run difference.
Opposing pitcher for the 49ers, Emily Jeffery, allowed just six hits through six innings, striking out seven Fordham Rams in the pitchers duel that came down to a one run ballgame.
Fordham's senior
Erin Fisher (Woodinville, N.Y./Woodinville) got the first and only run on the board for either team as she hit a shallow fly ball into the hole in left center field. Junior third baseman
Jocelyn Dearborn (New Milford, Pa./Blue Ridge) scored from second base on the hit for an RBI-single for the senior. Dearborn led off the game for Fordham with a single up the middle. Atlantic 10 Rookie of the Year,
Jamie LaBovick (Peoria, Ariz./Sunrise Mountain) layed down a finely executed sac bunt in front of home plate to move Dearborn into scoring position.
Fisher's RBI-single gives the senior 145 career-RBI, tying the career record set by Allison Twarowski (2004-08).
On junior shortstop Samantha Pellechio's (Lebanon, N.J./North Hunterdon) at bat, Fisher stole second, her 16th stolen base of the season and advanced to third on a missed throw. With two outs, Pellechio struck out looking, unable to score Fisher from third.
In the first inning, the Rams took down the 49ers, one, two, three as Mineau took down leadoff batter Whitney Williams with a called strikeout. Junior catcher Meghan Shager (Conklin, N.Y./Susquehanna Valley) caught a popped up high foul ball for the second out and Fisher finished off the inning catching a fly ball on the run into left center.
In the final inning, Mineau struck out leadoff batter, Williams for the third-straight time for the first out and Pellechio made an over the shoulder catch just out of the infield for out number two.
Mineau sealed the deal on her own perfect game victory as Serena Smith grounded out to Mineau who tossed the ball over to LaBovick at first base for the win.
Pellechio was 2-for-3 for Fordham, with a two-out double. Junior Beckah Wiggins (Conklin, N.Y./Susquehanna Valley) had a hit and a walk, and sophomore Jessica Richards (Trabuco Canyon, Calif./Mission Viejo) had a lead off double to the left field wall in the bottom of the fifth.
So far in the 2010 Championships, No. 6 Rhode Island was knocked out of the tournament with losses to Charlotte and No. 4 Saint Louis.
No. 5 St. Joseph's will play No. 4 Saint Louis in the second game of the consolation bracket, which will be the final game played on Thursday. The top seed in the tournament, Massachusetts, defeated St. Joseph's in the first game played on Thursday, 3-0, as Sarah Reeves hit two home runs over the left field wall for the Minutewomen.
No. 1 Massachusetts and No. 2 Fordham will square off against each other in the second game of Friday's three-game set. First pitch is scheduled for noon.
With the win, the Rams send Charlotte to the elimination bracket, where they will play the winner of the Saint Louis vs. St. Joseph's game. Fordham took a 2-1 lead over Charlotte in their all-time tournament series.
