Box Score March 23, 2012
Game 1 Stats | Game 2 Stats
Philadelphia, Pa. -
The Fordham softball team continued its white hot play on Friday by opening up Atlantic 10 play with a doubleheader sweep of La Salle, 9-1 and 11-0. The Rams improved to .500 with the wins and now have a season-long, seven-game winning streak.
Game 1
The Rams came out swinging as Jamie LaBovick blasted her second home run in as many games, and her third of the year, to put Fordham up 1-0 in the first. After a Nicole Callahan walk, Paige Ortiz homered, her fourth straight game with a home run, to extend the lead to 3-0. Brianna Turgeon followed Ortiz with a walk and moved to third on a double by Elise Fortier, but the Rams couldn't score again in the first.
Jen Mineau picked up right where she left off after her no-hitter against St. John's on Monday as she struck out the side in the first.
Fordham made the score 4-0 in the second as Gabby Luety led off with a walk. Brianna Ciuffi ran for Luety and she eventually scored on a one-out double to left-center from LaBovick. Callahan followed with her second walk of the game and Ortiz singled home LaBovick to make it 5-0 as Callahan went to third and Ortiz took second on the throw. Turgeon made it 6-0 with a sacrifice fly to center that delivered Callahan.
Mineau struck out the side in the second as well, but was touched up for a solo home run from Kristin Travers that made the score 6-1. Neither team scored in the third as Mineau fanned two more batters to give her eight strikeouts out of the first nine outs recorded.
Fordham extended its lead in the fourth as Lindsey Kay Bright led off with a walk and came around to score on three wild pitches while LaBovick was at-bat.
The Rams closed out the scoring when Elise Fortier cracked a two-run home run in the top of the fifth, her second of the year.
With the victory, Mineau improved to 11-8 on the year. She went the distance, striking out 12 and allowing just three hits. Fortier was 3-for-3 and drove in two runs while Ortiz collected two hits and three RBI in the win.
Game 2
Paige Ortiz continued to wield a hot bat for the Rams as she put Fordham up 2-0 in the first with a two-run home run down the left field line. The homer, her team-leading seventh of the year, was her fifth in the last five games. Two batters later, Elise Fortier ripped her fourth hit of the day, a base hit to left-center. Michele Daubman followed her with a double and the Rams had runners on second and third for Chelsea Palumbo. Palumbo promptly hit a base hit up the middle to score Fortier and Daubman and gives the Rams a 4-0 lead after half an inning.
The Rams made it 9-0 after two innings, scoring five times in the second. Lindsey Kay Bright led off the frame with an infield hit and stole second. Two outs later, she came in to score on an Ortiz single to make it 5-0. Brianna Turgeon followed with a single through the left side and Fortier walked to load the bases. Reigning A-10 Rookie of the Week, Michele Daubman, then blasted a grand slam over the wall in left, her second round tripper of the year, to drive in four runs and make the score 9-0.
The Rams scored two more times in the fifth as Callahan doubled to left and Erica Wills came in to run for her. Wills advanced to third on a wild pitch before Ortiz reached on an infield single. Cora Ianiro came in to run for Ortiz and Fordham had runners on the corners with one outs. Katherine VanBenschoten made it 10-0 Rams with an RBI groundout and Wills scored later on a wild pitch.
Pirone threw a complete-game two hitter to pick up the win for Fordham, walking one and stricking out five to earn the win. Ortiz was three-for-four at the plate.
Following a day off on Saturday, Fordham continues A-10 play with a doubleheader at George Washington on Sunday, March 25, at noon.
