Box Score Feb. 18, 2011
Final Stats
Clearwater, Fla. -
The softball Rams were trying to right the ship as they faced Ole Miss in the first game of the USF Tournament from Clearwater, Florida. Coming into the game, Fordham was 1-3 while the Rebels were 1-4. Something had to give.
Early on it looked like the Rams were going to prevail as they jumped out to the lead in the top of the first as Jamie LaBovick, the second batter for Fordham, ripped a single to right. After a walk to Samantha Pellechio put runners on first and second, Wiggins doubled to right-center plating LaBovick. Freshman Gabby Luety was next and she ripped a two-RBI single that scored Pellechio and Wiggins.
The Rebels countered in their half of the first with two runs. The first came as a result of three straight singles. The RBI base hit came off the bat of Brittany Barnhill and scored Corrine Doornberg. The second run came on an RBI ground out from Marina Parra.
Ole Miss threatened again in the third as Cali Overbeck picked up her second single of the game and Londen Ladner doubled to put runners on second and third with two outs. From there, Chelsea Plimpton induced Marina Parra to foul out and end the threat.
Fordham had another opportunity in the fourth as Lindsey Kay Bright reached on a fielder's choice. She stole second and later advanced to third on an infield single from Katherine VanBenschoten, who was thrown out trying to steal second. Bright was stranded there when Jessica Crowley struck out to retire the side.
In the Rebels' half of the fourth, with one out, Brittany Broome singled and Erinn Jayjohn doubled to put runners on second and third. At this point, Jen Mineau came in to relieve Plimpton. Doornberg then tied the game with a sacrifice fly to left. The next better, R.T. Cantillo, promptly ripped a double to left giving Ole Miss a 4-3 lead. Still in the inning, Overbeck walked, but on Meghan Shager misplayed ball four and Cantillo scored on the passed ball to give Mississippi a 5-3 advantage.
The Rams never threatened again until the seventh, when Shager ripped out a two-out double to left-center. Dearborn, the tying run, grounded out to short to end the game. Ole Miss beat Fordham 5-3. The Rams now fall to 1-4 while the Rebels are 2-4.
Game Two:
After falling to Ole Miss in the earlier game, Fordham earns a split on day one of the USF Tournament by defeating the hosts 1-0 in extra innings. The story in the matchup with the Bulls was the pitching by the Rams. Chelsea Plimpton and Jen Mineau each tossed four scoreless innings for the combined shutout. The girls scattered just three hits in the game.
South Florida threatened to score in the very first inning. They loaded the bases on a single and two walks but Plimpton got Stormi Grzybeck to pop-up in the infield.
The Bulls had another scoring chance in the third. Gina Kafalas reached on a bunt single. She then stole second to put a runner in scoring position with no outs. Plimpton then bore down and got out of trouble with a comebacker, a foul out and another pop-up.
Fordham pushed across a run in the top of the eighth when Meghan Shager was placed on second to start the inning. She advanced to third on a sacrifice bunt and scored on an RBI single by Jocelyn Dearborn.
The Bulls had a chance to tie the game in the bottom of the eighth. With a runner placed on second, Mineau uncorked a wild pitch and the runner advanced to third. She then retired the side and picked up the win in relief.
The Rams return to action on day two of the USF Invitational as they take on Indiana at 12:30P.M. and DePaul at 5:00 P.M.
