Box Score April 5, 2013
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Amherst, Mass. -
For those expecting another pitcher's duel in the Fordham-Massachusetts softball series opener, they were sorely mistaken, as the two teams combined for 14 runs and 20 hits in the game. In the end, the Minutewomen got three RBI-days from Katie Bettencourt and Taylor Carbone leading UMass to a 9-5 win over the Rams.
The loss snaps Fordham's five-game win streak, putting the Rams at 20-12 on the season, 4-3 in Atlantic 10 play, while UMass improved to 4-1 in the league, 7-16 overall.
Fordham got the scoring started in the first, loading the bases with one out. Jamie LaBovick led off the game with a single, extending her school record hitting streak to 19 games. After two walks and an infield fly loaded the bases, Kayla Lombardo lined a shot off the third baseman's glove for an infield single, scoring LaBovick for a 1-0 lead. Fordham looked for more, but Michele Daubman lined into an unassisted double play at third to end the rally.
The Minutewomen responded with three runs, as they took advantage of a Fordham error. Fordham thought they started the game with an opening ground out by Cyndil Matthew, but an illegal pitch call gave Matthew a second chance, drawing a walk and stealing second. After a line out, Katie Bettencourt singled to right, scoring Matthew from second. The Minutewomen would later score a run on an error and an RBI-single by Lindsey Webster to take a 3-1 lead.
UMass extended the lead to 6-1 in the second, picking up runs on an RBI-double by Quianna Diaz-Patterson, a sacrifice fly by Bettencourt and an RBI-single by Carbone.
Fordham crept back to within 6-3 by scoring a single run in the fourth and fifth innings. In the fourth, Daubman hit a solo home run to right for her fourth of the season, while in the fifth inning, Brianna Turgeon doubled home Gabby Luety from first after a walk.
UMass responded back with three runs in the bottom of the fifth, highlighted by a two-run single by Carbone for a 9-3 lead.
The Rams notched two runs in the sixth to make it a 9-5 game on an RBI-single from Paige Ortiz and a ground out by LaBovick, but that is as close as the Rams would get, as the late-inning rally fell short.
LaBovick (10-8) took the loss allowing three runs (one earned) on three hits in one inning of work, while Daubman threw four innings of relief, giving up six runs on eight hits with three strikeouts. Taylor Pirone also threw a scoreless inning of relief.
At the plate, Ortiz was 3-for-4 with an RBI, while Daubman went 2-for-4 with a double, a home run, and two runs scored. Turgeon also finished 2-for-2 with an RBI-double.
The two teams will conclude the series with a noon game on Saturday.
