Box Score Feb. 25, 2011
Texas Final Stats | Washington Final Stats
Cathedral City, Calif. -
The Fordham softball team showed they could play with the best teams in the nation on Thursday, February 24 as they opened day one of the Cathedral City Classic with games against two top-ranked teams. The Rams beat #11/12 Texas 2-1 in the opening game and fell to #7/9 Washington in the second contest.
Game 1:
Fordham was aggressive at the plate from the onset against the Longhorns in game one as they opened the first inning with back-to-back singles from Nicole Callahan and Samantha Pellechio. Fordham failed to score, however, when Jamie LaBovick grounded into a double play.
On the mound for the Rams was junior, All-American Jen Mineau, and she was masterful. Texas didn't get a hit until the fourth inning, when Lexy Bennett led off with a triple to right center. Amy Hooks followed Bennett, and she lifted a sacrifice fly to center to score Bennett. Texas had a 1-0 lead.
Since those two singles in the first inning by Callahan and Pellechio, Fordham was retired in order every inning until their half of the sixth. In the bottom of that inning, Lindsey Kay Bright led off with an infield single. She advanced to second on a Jocelyn Dearborn ground out. With two outs in the inning, Callahan ripped an RBI single up the middle and tied the game at 1-1.
Texas had three up and three down in the top of the seventh and Fordham had some heroics in the bottom of the frame. After the first two batters were retired, freshman, designated player, Gabby Luety lifted a walk-off home run to left field. The solo shot gave the Rams a 2-1 win.
For Fordham, Mineau tossed a complete game to pick up the win. She allowed one run on five hits and struck out five. Callahan had two hits and an RBI and Luety was one-for-three with her home run. Rachel Fox got tabbed with the loss for Texas. The Rams evened their record at 5-5.
Game 2:
The rubber game of the day saw the Rams face the #7 Washington Huskies. This game had reigning Atlantic 10 Pitcher of the Week, Chelsea Plimpton, in the circle for Fordham.
Game two started eerily similarly to game one as the Rams threatened in the first inning. With one out, Bright walked. Callahan followed her with a single to right, but Bright was thrown out trying to go from first to third on the hit. Pellechio followed Callahan with a single of her own and LaBovick singled to load the bases with two outs. But the Huskies escaped trouble when game one hero, Luety, grounded out to third base to end the inning.
Fordham rallied again in the second inning, but once again failed to push any runs across. Beckah Wiggins led off with a single. Jessica Richards advanced Wiggins to second on a sacrifice bunt. Meghan Shager worked a walk to put two runners one and Wiggins later advanced to third on a wild pitch. Shager promptly stole second to put two runners in scoring position with one out, but Dearborn struck out and Bright popped up to end the threat.
Washington finally broke through in the fourth. Jenn Salling led off with a double to left center. Niki Williams followed her with a walk. Shawna Wright advanced both runners with a sacrifice fly to right field, and Salling scored on a squeeze bunt from Morgan Stuart. The Huskies led 1-0.
Fordham rallied in the fourth as Wiggins picked up her second hit of the game. She advanced to second on a bunt from Richards, but got no further as Shager popped up and Dearborn struck out.
Washington added an insurance run in the fifth as Salling tripled home Kimi Pohlman, who reached on a fielder's choice earlier in the inning. The Huskies had a 2-1 lead. Fordham never threatened again and the Huskies won the game.
Plimpton was the hard-luck loser again for the Rams. In her complete game of work, she allowed three hits (only one extra-base-hit), one earned run, and struck out six. Bryana Walker, who came out of the bullpen for the final four innings, earned the win for Washington. Callahan and Wiggins each collected two hits in the game.
The Rams return for day two of the Cathedral City Classic on Friday, February 25. They face Cal State Fullerton at 11:30 P.M. Eastern.
