University Park, Pa. - (May 20, 2011) - In nearly a calendar year since Fordham defeated Maryland 2-1 for the school's first-ever NCAA Regional win, the Rams duplicated the feat, collecting a 2-0 win over Penn State on Friday, May 20, in the opening round of the NCAA University Park Regional. Fordham's Jen Mineau, who took the circle against Nittany Lions' ace, Jackie Hill, went the distance to pick up the win. But Hill's performance didn't make it easy for the Rams.
Nicole Callahan lined a single to left-center in the first, for the game's first base runner. The All-Region selection was stranded at first base, though as the team failed to advance her. Callahan ended up with two hits in the game.
In the bottom of the second, the Nittany Lions catcher, Kasie Hatfield, ripped a double to the wall in center field. From there, Mineau struck out right fielder Alyssa Sovereign, second baseman Lauren Yao and pitcher Jackie Hill to retire the runner at second and escape any trouble.
The Rams threatened in the top of the third as Jessica Crowley took a 1-1 pitch off the top of the wall in left center for a double. Lindsey Kay Bright bunted her over to third, where she was with one out and the top of the lineup coming to bat. Jocelyn Dearborn struck out for the second out, and, after fouling off a number of pitches, Callahan grounded to short and the Rams failed to score a run.
Jen Mineau struck out 13 in the win.
Mineau struck out five consecutive batters, all three in the second and the first two in the third, before Alyssa Renwick ended the streak with a grounder back to the box that Mineau tossed to Jamie LaBovick for the final out in the third.
Mineau would pitch out of trouble for the second time in the fourth inning. Kailyn Johnson hit a one-out line drive to right and just beat the throw to first as Chelsea Palumbo tried to throw her out. Mary Ostman came in to run and stole second. Mineau then got Hatfield to foul out to Dearborn, near the dugout, on the ninth pitch of the at-bat. She then struck out Alyssa Sovereign to retire the side.
In the fifth, Yao led off with a popup to shortstop that Pellechio caught and then dropped on the exchange, after the out was recorded. Jackie Hill then struck out and, after an eight pitch, at-bat, Lauren Rossi struck out to end the fifth.
Callahan picked up her second hit of the game in the sixth, but the Rams were unable to score. LaBovick led off the seventh with a hard grounder to third, Rossi threw the ball wide of first and LaBovick was on due to the error. Beckah Wiggins, whose bat started heating up in the Atlantic 10 championship, then blasted a home run over the wall in left-center and the Rams led 2-0. Wiggins drove in both runs in Fordham's A-10 tournament win over Charlotte, scored the winning run against UMass in the semi-final and drove in both runs today.
In the bottom of the seventh, Kailyn Johnson lined out to center, but it was ruled an illegal pitch, and she walked on the next Mineau offering. Mineau recovered and got Hatfield on a strikeout, Sovereign on a grounder to third and struck out Yao to end the game.
Mineau went the distance to improve to 24-7 on the season. She struck out 13 and walked just one. She also extended her consecutive scoreless innings pitched streak to 77 innings. The last run she allowed came in the first inning of a 4-1 win against Dayton on April 23. Mineau passed Sara Kinney (2003-2007) to record her 76th career win, tops in Fordham history.
With the win the Rams will face the Oregon Ducks on Saturday, May 21 at 2:30 P.M. Oregon defeated Albany 3-1 to advance to the game against Fordham.
Gallery: (5-13-2020) 2011 NCAA Softball vs. Penn State
