Box Score Feb. 12, 2011
Final Stats
Clermont, Fla. -
Coming off of a record setting 2010 season, the Fordham Rams softball team began the 2011 season by edging Florida Atlantic 1-0. The game was the first one in the Dot Richardson College Classic from Clermont, Florida.
Chelsea Plimpton was the story in this game. The senior hurler earned her first shutout of the season and fifth of her career, by facing just 25 batters, 4 over the minimum. She scattered three hits and walked a batter. From the circle, she struck out a career-high 11 Owls.
In the first, FAU had Brittany Walker reached on a walk. She was later thrown out stealing by Meghan Shager. Later in the inning, Kerri Croney doubled to left, but was stranded at second.
The second inning saw Owls' starting pitcher Rose Gressley single and advance to second on a sacrifice bunt. She was stranded there after Plimpton struck out Carly Speerin and got Ashlyn Parmerter to pop-up in the infield.
Florida Atlantic had two runners on in the third, but again, Plimpton got a key pop-up and a strikeout to escape trouble. Plimpton retired the final 14 batters she faced.
The game's lone run came in the top of the sixth, when Lindsey Kay Bright hit one back to the box and was misplayed by Gressley. Senior third baseman, Jocelyn Dearborn, was the next batter. She promptly ripped an RBI triple that plated Bright. The Rams managed just two additional hits. The first came in the fourth when senior shortstop Samantha Pellechio laced a single up the middle. Freshman Gabby Luety singled in the seventh for the Rams only other hit.
Game two saw junior All-American Jen Mineau make her season debut versus the Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets. The Jackets defeated the Rams 6-0 in the rubber game.
Mineau threw five-innings and was touched up for just one run. She scattered five hits and struck out 3. Jamie LaBovick surrendered five runs in two-innings of relief. Offensively, Fordham collected just five hits, all of them singles.
Georgia Tech got on the board in the first as Alysha Rudnik singled and came around to score on a double from Kristine Priebe. In the top of the sixth, Georgia Tech plated three more as Rudnik cleared the bases with a triple to right to make the score 4-0. The Yellow Jackets added two more insurance runs in the seventh when designated player Danielle Dike connected on a two-run home run.
The Rams return to action on Sunday, February 13 in day two of the Dot Richardson College Classic. They face #17/18 Georgia Tech at 11:00 A.M., followed by a game with Tennessee-Chattanooga at 1:00 P.M.
