Box Score March 28, 2012
Final Stats
Bethlehem, Pa. -
The Fordham softball team's nine-game winning streak ended at nine games on Wednesday, as they were swept in a doubleheader by Lehigh, 7-2 and 4-2.
Game 1:
Lehigh got to Taylor Pirone early as Audra Wood laced a one-out triple in the bottom of the first that took a bad hop past Lindsey Kay Bright. She came in to score on an RBI single from Jennifer Colquhoun. Julie Fernandez followed with an RBI double to left to bring the score to 2-0, but Fernandez was thrown out at third by Bright trying to stretch the hit to a triple. Liz Lucas then put a ball into the left-centerfield gap for a double, and she came in to score on a line drive base hit through the left side to give the Mountain Hawks a 3-0 lead after one inning.
Fordham got part of the deficit back in the second as Gabby Luety lifted a solo home run to left, her sixth of the year, to bring the Rams within two, 3-1.
Lehigh extended its lead in the third inning as Fernandez hit a groundball single up the middle and Lucas reached on an error. Kristin Taft came in to run for Fernandez and Jessica Long ran for Lucas. Waggy's second hit of the game, a single to left, loaded the bases and Emma Capetz ripped on RBI single to left to make it 4-1. The opposing pitcher, Bausher followed with a base hit to center that scored Taft, but Long was thrown out at home by Brianna Turgeon as Lehigh led 5-1 after three innings.
Fordham threatened in the top of the fourth as Elise Fortier walked and Ciuffi pinch ran for her. Ciuffi moved to second when Luety walked with two outs, but Palumbo looked at strike three to end the threat.
In the bottom of the fourth, Colquhoun connected on a solo home run that gave the Mountain Hawks a 6-1 lead. Fernandez followed her with a double to left and Lucas delivered her with an RBI single to put Lehigh up 7-1.
The Rams got one back in the fifth as Bright led off with an infield single to third. She moved to second on a wild pitch and, two batters later, went to third on a Callahan single. Ortiz brought in Bright with a sacrifice fly to left but that was all the scoring the Rams would do in game one.
Pirone took the loss for Fordham in the circle while Bright collected a pair of hits at the plate. The defeat snapped the Rams' winning streak at nine games.
Game 2:
Jamie LaBovick led off the game with a double over the left fielder's head and, two batters later, Ortiz lifted a sacrifice fly to center to give the Rams a 1-0 lead.
In the bottom of the second, Fernandez led off with a single for Lehigh. She advanced to second when the next batter laid down a bunt and Fortier went to second with the throw, but it wasn't in time. Lehigh moved both runners into scoring position on a sacrifice bunt, but Michele Daubman worked out of the jam by getting Capetz and Tenley Halaquist on pop-ups.
In the Mountain Hawks' third, Audra Wood reached on an infield hit and moved over to third on Colquhoun's hard-hit, infield single. Daubman escaped unscathed for the second straight inning though, as she got Fernandez to line out to short to end the inning.
Lucas led off the fourth with a double over Jessica Crowley's head in right. Two batters later Capetz singled up the middle to give the Mountain Hawks runners on the corners with one out.
Jen Mineau relieved Daubman but threw a wild pitch that let Lucas score and tie the score at 1-1. The next batter, Halaquist, lifted a low line drive to right that Daubman dove for and missed, allowing Halaquist to circle the bases for an inside-the-park home run that gave Lehigh a 3-1 lead.
Lehigh added a run in the fifth when Colquhoun led off with a bunt single and came in to score on a double to center by Fernandez.
In the Rams' final at-bat, Elise Fortier lined a single back through the box with Erica Wills coming in to run for her. Gabby Luety walked to put two runners on and bring the tying run to the plate in Daubman. Daubman ripped a grounder to second that was misplayed for an error. On the play, Wills tried to score from second, but was gunned out at the plate, giving Fordham runners on the corners with one out and Chelsea Palumbo at the plate. Palumbo sent a low liner through the left side for an RBI single that scored Luety and made the score 4-2. But the next two Fordham hitters couldn't keep the rally alive as the rams dropped game two, 4-2.
Daubman took the loss in the circle for the Rams while Palumbo had two hits.
With the two losses, the Rams are now 16-16 on the season. They return home to face Charlotte in an Atlantic 10 game on Friday, March 30, at 3:00 PM.
