Box Score April 24, 2012
Final Stats |
Photo Gallery 
Bronx, N.Y. -
The newly renovated Bahoshy Field had been a welcoming place for its tenants until Iona handed the Fordham softball team its first home loss of 2012, a 6-2 setback, on Tuesday afternoon. With the defeat, Fordham fell to 29-19 while the Gaels improved to 26-20.
New Rochelle native Taylor Pirone got the start against her local school and was touched up for a pair of runs in the first on balls that weren't hit very hard. Jodi Peterson led off with an infield single into the hole at short. Two batters later, Eileen McCann singled through the right side and Alyssa Maiese loaded the bases with a hit through the left side. After a foul out for the second out, Allysa James ripped a two-run single up the middle scoring Peterson and McCann, but Iona ran themselves out of the inning as Maiese was gunned out at third on a relay from Brianna Turgeon to Gabby Luety to Elise Fortier.
Fordham tied the score in the bottom of the second as Turgeon reached on a fielding error. Fortier fouled out to deep right field and Turgeon tagged and moved to second. Red-hot Katherine VanBenschoten, who ripped a home run against St. Bonaventure over the weekend, lifted a line drive single to right moving Turgeon to third. Luety walked to loaded the bases and Lindsey Bright got Fordham on the board with an infield single. The hit left Bright just one base hit shy of becoming the fifth Fordham player to reach 200 career hits. Two batters later, Nicole Callahan tied the score at two with an infield single to short that drove in Luety with the tying run.
Iona regained the lead for good in the top of the fourth as Katie Jansson singled through the right side. Peterson followed with her second hit of the game to put runner son first and second and, two batters later, McCann gave the Gaels a 3-2 lead with a double to left field that plated Jansson.
The Gaels got some insurance runs in the sixth off of Fordham reliever Michele Daubman on a pair of home runs. Peterson led off the inning with a solo shot to left and, after a McCann single, Maiese took the ball over the wall in right for a two-run shot for a 6-2 Iona lead.
The Rams rallied in the seventh, but some sparkling Iona defense turned them aside. Jamie LaBovick opened the inning with a single to center. Callahan then ripped a screaming line drive back up the middle that pitcher, Sarah Jackson, snagged for an out and then threw to first for the double play. Paige Ortiz singled with two outs and Chelsea Palumbo doubled her to third but Turgeon grounded out to end the game.
Oritz collected two of the Rams' nine hits while Taylor Pirone fell to 3-5 with the loss.
Fordham returns to conference play this weekend as the team has a two-game series at Dayton beginning on Friday, April 27 at 3:00 PM.
