Box Score May 2, 2010
Game 1 - Box Score | Game 2 - Box Score | Photo Gallery 
| 05/02/10 - Charlotte Highlights 
BRONX, N.Y. -Junior Jocelyn Dearborn (New Mildord, Pa./Blue Ridge) bookended Fordham's sweep of Atlantic 10 rival Charlotte with a lead off solo home run in the first game and a walk-off, three-run rip in the sixth inning of the second game of Sunday's doubleheader at the Bahoshy Softball Complex. With Dearborn's help, Fordham defeated Charlotte 1-0 in the first game and 8-0 in six innings in the second, giving the Rams a step closer to that first round bye in the Atlantic 10 Championships in mid-May.
Dearborn has hit home runs in five of the last eight games, putting her at 10 for the season as she rounds into form and kept Fordham hot on their 16-game winning streak.
Classmate Beckah Wiggins (Conklin, N.Y./Susquehanna Valley) hit a three-run homer and an RBI-double for four RBIs in game two against Charlotte, breaking Fordham's single-season RBI record, set by Laura Klaiber in 2005 with 56 RBIs. Wiggins' season total is up to 58, setting the new record.
With Dearborn's two homers, the 2010 Rams have three batters hitting in double-digits for home runs (Dearborn (10), Wiggins (12) and senior Erin Fisher (Woodinville,Wash./Woodinville) (13)). The last time Fordham had three batters hitting more than 10 homers in a season was in 2006 with Klaibe, Allison Twarowski and Lisa Busciacco all hitting 10.
Sophomore Jen Mineau (Schaghticoke, N.Y./Hoosic Valley Central) pitched both games for Fordham, as she helped herself to a 29-5 season record. Mineau struck out 16 in the first game and four in the second. She allowed just two-hits through seven innings in the one-run victory and five in the second.
With the double shut out sweep, Fordham is 42-8 overall and 14-2 in the Atlantic 10. Fordham has held opponents scoreless over 42-consecutive innings, dating back to the final inning of the second game against La Salle on April 18. Mineau has earned the win in all six games. She has recorded 14 complete shutout victories this season, also having a hand in six.
For the 49ers, Emily Jeffery recorded the loss in the first game, pitching six innings with nine strikeouts. Jeffery's record fell to 19-9. In the second game, Katy Hackett made the start for Charlotte. She went through 3.1 innings and recorded the loss. Her record at 16-5. Jeffery came into the game in the middle of the fourth inning and added one more strikeout to her Sunday total.
Fordham's doubleheader win also gives Fordham the two-game advantage in the series with the 49ers. Before Sunday, the series was tied at five games each.
Game 1: Fordham 1, Charlotte 0
Dearborn led off the game as she has done at La Salle in game one (April 18) and Temple in game two (April 24) with a lead off home run. This time Dearborn knocked the ball to right center to put Fordham one-run up over Charlotte in the Rams' first at bat. The Rams didn't score any more in the inning, but they made it clear to Fordham's Atlantic 10 rival -- we're hear to win.
Mineau came to the circle armed and dangerous with hard fast balls as she struck out the first seven out of eight batters swinging into nothing. Mineau assisted the final out in the top of the second inning as the ball came back to her as she picked it up and threw it rookie Jamie LaBovick (Peoria, Ariz./Sunrise Mountain) at first.
Through three innings, it was three up, three down for the 49ers, until top of the fourth when Charlotte finally got a runner on the bases as their leadoff batter, Whitney Williams hit one into the gap in left center. Fisher went for it but the ball cut away from her to the back of the fence. Williams' hit was a double, giving the 49ers the tying run on the bases. Mineau took down the next two batters swinging into the dirt, two outs away in the fourth inning. Sophomore Lindsey Kay Bright (Federal Way, Wash./Decatur) caught a fly ball on the run toward center for the third out, stranding Williams at second.
Mineau struck out the side for the second time in the fifth inning, leaving no room for Charlotte to mount a comeback. In the sixth inning, Williams got on base after two-out walk. Mineau had struck out the first two batters. Although it seemed as though Kendra McCall was going to go down swinging for the third out, Williams jumped the gun on the run and was called out for leaving early as once again Charlotte lost a chance to come back against Fordham.
In the final inning, the first Charlotte batter flied out to Bright in left field and Mineau struck out the second swinging away. The third batter, Tenaya Tucker had a two-out rally single to the left side. With the tying run on first base, Mineau struck out the 16th batter of the game as Bri Gwaltney went down swinging. Thirteen of Mineau's 16 strikeouts were swinging.
Fordham tried to add more to their one-run lead in the third inning as Dearborn led off third with a single to left field. She was called out leaving early . Both Wiggins and Fisher walked their way on base, one right after eachother, but they were left on as the Rams popped out to the pitcher to end the inning.
Bright led off with a hard hit single down the third baseline, the third baseman couldn't handle it but that was all the offense Fordham had in the fifth inning as she was left on base.
Game 2: Fordham 8, Charlotte 0 (6 innings)
In the top of the third, Charlotte had two baserunners on after two-straight two-out singles from the top of the 49er order, Williams and Kendra McCall. Mineau got Fordham out the inning with a 1-2 swinging strikeout, her 19th of the day.
LaBovick led off the bottom of the fourth inning with a rip to the hole in left field. Wiggins bombed the first pitch over the yellow line in left field, but it is just foul of the 190-pole. On the next pitch, Wiggins straightened it out and hit one hard and fast to right center. LaBovick came around the bases from first to score, the first run of the game for either team.
After an out by Fisher, Samantha Pellechio (Lebanon, N.J./Freehold Township) hit a blooper to the middle of the infield to put runners on the corners for the Rams as Wiggins advanced to third. Freshman Jessica Crowley entered as a pinch runner for Pellechio at first base. Junior catcher Meghan Shager (Conklin, N.Y./Susquehanna Valley) hit an RBI single up the middle after taking a first pitch strike. Wiggins scored on the hit through second base as Crowley advanced to second.
With the second run in for Fordham, the 49ers made the move to switch pitchers back to Jeffery. Jeffery pitched to Richards who grounded out to the second baseman, but advanced both Crowley and Shager around the bases to third and second. Rookie Jamie Pollak (Chandler, Ariz./Corona del Sol) came in to pinch hit for Chelsea Palumbo (Tabernacle, N.J./Seneca). Pollak walked to load the bases full of Rams with two outs. Bright fouled out to the third baseman for the final out of the inning, but the Rams had made their dent with a two-run lead through four innings.
In the fifth inning, Fordham got two runners on base in time for Wiggins at the plate for the second-straight inning. Still feeling the fire, Wiggins bombs one to left field, over the left field fence into the tennis courts, scoring Dearborn and LaBovick. Dearborn led off the inning with a double to left center, and LaBovick walked to get on base. Wiggins' three-RBI homer gave Fordham the 5-0 advantage.
The bats kept swinging for the Rams in the sixth inning as Palumbo led off with a single to the left side. Bright took down a high pitch for a bunt single, just falling down in front of Jeffery. Palumbo advanced to second, ready to score. Dearborn came up to the plate and ended the evening as she began the afternoon, taking the 0-1 pitch far and high over the left field fence into the tennis courts chasing Wiggins' hit, for the second three-run homer of the game and the Fordham win. The three runs were all Fordham needed for the eight-run rule.
Dearborn went 4-for-7 against Charlotte with four RBI. Wiggins went 2-for-5 with four RBI.
Up next, Fordham will have a rematch against Iona on Wednesday as the Rams take a break from conference play. The Rams and Gaels will face off at 3 p.m. on Wednesday, May 5 at the Bahoshy Softball Complex. Fordham and Iona played last Tuesday in New Rochelle, N.Y. Fordham won 6-0.
