Box Score March 11, 2012
Final Stats
Clearwater, Fla. -
It was a historic day for the Fordham softball program on the third day of the UnderArmour Showcase tournament in Clearwater, Florida, as the team defeated Western Michigan, 6-0, to earn head coach Bridget Orchard, her 500th career coaching victory.
Coach Orchard's career as a head coach commenced at Cabrini College in Radnor, Pennsylvania, where she compiled a 129-42-2 record in four seasons, and Orchard led the squad to two straight NCAA Division III Tournament appearances. She is currently in her eleventh season at Fordham, where she has amassed a 371-240-1 record to date with a pair of NCAA tournament appearances, one Atlantic 10 Championship and four A-10 Coach of the Year awards.
The Rams got the bats going from the start against Western Michigan as Jamie LaBovick led off the game with a double to right. Two batters later, Paige Ortiz walked and Fordham had two runners on with one out. But the next two Ram batters struck out and the team stranded the two runners.
In the bottom of the second, Gabby Luety singled through the left side. Sammi Smith came in to for Luety, and Elise Fortier walked to put runners on first and second with no outs. Two batters later, Lindsey Kay Bright poked a ground ball back through the middle and Smith came in to score giving Fordham a 1-0 lead.
The Rams loaded the bases in the bottom of the fourth as Luety led off with a walk and, after two outs later, Bright singled through the hole the other way moving Luety to second. LaBovick was hit by the pitch which brought up Nicole Callahan with two outs and the bases loaded. Callahan went the other way and ripped a bases-clearing double to left to give Fordham a 4-0 lead.
Fordham has consistently supported starter Jen Mineau with late insurance runs lately and Sunday was no different as Chelsea Palumbo led off the sixth with a solo home run to left that made the score 5-0. The Rams added another run when Callahan reached on a fielder's choice, Ortiz lifted a flare to left, and Turgeon fouled off seven pitches before earning a walk to load the bases for Michele Daubman. Daubman poked a grounder to third that got by the third baseman for an error and brought in Erica Wills, who came in to run for Callahan.
In the circle, Mineau was masterful, tossing a complete game, striking out eleven, and didn't allow a runner to reach third in the shutout. Bright was 3-for-3 at the plate and Callahan had three RBI.
After a day off on Monday, Fordham closes out the Under Armour Showcase tournament with a game against the Boston University Terriers on Tuesday, March 13 at 3:30, followed immediately by an exhibition match with the Netherlands National Team.
