Box Score April 10, 2011
Game One Final Stats | Game Two Final Stats | 
Photo Gallery
Bronx, N.Y. -
A long, 11-game, home stand reached its happy dénouement on Sunday, April 10 as the Fordham softball team swept a pair of games from La Salle, 8-0 and 10-1. The first game featured a one-hitter thrown by All-American, Jen Mineau and the rubber match saw senior Chelsea Plimpton nearly equal the feat.
The sports historians out there will remember the name Johnny Vander Meer. Vander Meer was a journeyman southpaw whose claim to fame was throwing back-to-back no hitters on Jun 11, 1938 and four days later on June 15. That record has never been equaled in nearly 73 years. Jen Mineau came within one batter of equaling that superlative.
Following her no-hit performance against George Washington on Friday, April 8, she was just as masterful against the Explorers on Sunday. She retired the first 11 batters she faced, nine of them via the strikeout. The only batter to reach base was Ali Shepherd, who ripped a single to right center in the fourth. In other eerily similar statistic to Vandeer Meer's first no-hitter, no batter in either game, got past first base. Mineau finished the game with just the one hit. She allowed no walks and struck out 13.
Offensively, the Rams gave her more firepower than needed. After a scoreless first inning, Fordham exploded with six runs in the second. Chelsea Palumbo connected on her second home run in as many days, as she drove in Beckah Wiggins with a shot to left- center. The next batter, Jessica Crowley lifted another pitch over the wall, for back to back home runs and a 3-0 Fordham lead. After a La Salle pitching change, Lindsey Kay Bright walked and came in to score on a double from Jocelyn Dearborn. Later in the inning, Gabby Luety ripped an RBI single to right-center that scored Dearborn. The sixth run of the frame came when Jamie LaBovick's line drive to center fell in and plated Samantha Pellechio.
Fordham scored a run each in the fourth and fifth to put the game away. In the fourth, Bright bunted for a base hit. She came around when Dearborn ripped a triple to right-center. The eighth run of the game came when a Bright single down the left-field line scored Palumbo, who had singled earlier in the inning.
Game Two:
The second game saw more dominant play in the circle by the Rams as Chelsea Plimpton went the distance to improve to 13-9 on the season, with a 10-1 win. Fordham finished the game with 12 hits and 9 RBI and sent 12 batters to the plate in the second inning.
It was an auspicious start in game two as Dearborn led off the bottom of the first with a home run. It was her team-leading 12th home run of the season.
The Rams added to the lead in the second inning, scoring seven times. LaBovick led off the frame with a solo blast. Crowley doubled to center and scored on an RBI singled from Meghan Shager. Dearborn drove in two runners with still another single that made the score 5-0 Rams. Dearborn scored the sixth run off of a Samantha Pellechio double. Palumbo and LaBovick capped the scoring for Fordham with RBI singles.
The Rams added runs in the third and fourth to put the game away. In the third, Nicole Callahan singled home Bright. The final run came in the fourth when Katherine VanBenschoten connected on a pinch-hit double to left. She advanced to third on an out and scored when an errant throw from the catcher, on a pickoff attempt, went into left field.
The Explorers scored their only run of the game in the fourth when Megan Hodgson blasted a solo home run to left field. This homer was the only blemish on the day for Plimpton.
Plimpton finished with two hits allowed, one walk and six strikeouts. The Rams improved to 26-16 overall and 9-3 in the Atlantic 10. They return to action on Wednesday, April 13, when they travel to Stony Brook, New York to take on the Seawolves.
