Box Score April 5, 2012
Final Stats
Philadelphia, Pa. -
Both Fordham head coach Bridget Orchard and Saint Joseph's leader Terri Adams understood the magnitude of the series between the Rams and Hawks as they each put their top pitchers in the circle for game one on Thursday in Philadelphia, and both hurlers were dominant. But a Chelsea Palumbo home run proved to be the difference as Fordham came away with the 1-0 win.
The victory improved Fordham's Atlantic 10 record to 7-0, 21-16 overall, while handing Saint Joseph's its first conference loss of the season as the Hawks fall to 4-1 in the conference, 12-17 overall.
Neither side had a runner move into scoring position until Fordham loaded the bases in the second on a walk by Elise Fortier and a pair of singles from Gabby Luety and Palumbo. But Fordham failed to score and that was the only hiccup Saint Joseph's starter Taryn Ashway had until the Rams pushed a run across in the fifth.
Jen Mineau was her normal, dominant self for the Rams as she opened the game by retiring the first 14 batters she faced before she hit Deanna Stinner with a pitch with two outs in the fifth. She eventually surrendered a hit Alaina Laguidice to lead off the sixth, but that was the only hit she allowed.
Fordham gave Mineau the only run she would need in the fifth when Palumbo led off the inning with a solo home run off of Ashway. That homer, Palumbo's third of the year, was the only run Ashway allowed as the Rams touched her up for nine hits.
Mineau finished with a one-hit shutout, striking eight and recording her 20th complete game of the season while improving to 16-8 overall. Luety, Palumbo and Jamie LaBovick each had a pair of hits to lead the Rams at the plate.
The two teams close out their two-game series on Good Friday with the first pitch scheduled for 12:00 PM.
