Box Score April 6, 2013
Box Score
Amherst, Mass. -
Over the last decade, there have been a number of memorable softball contests between Fordham and Massachusetts, but none were like Saturday's series finale at Sortino Field in Amherst, Massachusetts. The Rams hit four home runs and held off a late Minutewomen surge to win the game by a score of 17-11 in a wild affair.
With the win, Fordham improves to 21-12 on the year, 5-3 in the Atlantic 10, while Massachusetts fell to 7-17 on the year, 4-2 in the league.
The offense occurred early and often, as Fordham scored twice in the first. With one out, Elise Fortier hit a solo home run to right, that skipped off and over the top of the right field wall for her 12th of the season. Gabby Luety then drew a walk and scored on a double to right center by Michele Daubman for a 2-0 lead.
The Minutewomen came right back to score a run on an RBI-single by Taylor Carbone, and had runners at first and third with one out. Fordham though would get a big defensive play, as Luety threw out Lindsey Zenk trying to steal second, while Fortier threw back home to catch Katie Bettencourt trying to take home.
After a scoreless second inning, Fordham exploded for eight runs in the third, sending 12 batters to the plate, to take a 10-1 lead. The Rams started the rally by loading the bases with one out, and getting a sacrifice fly from Paige Ortiz. Kayla Lombardo followed with a two-run double to make it, 5-1.
After a wild pitch and a walk put runners at the corners, Chelsea Palumbo hit a shot to right, which the UMass outfielder dropped, allowing both runners to score, making it a 7-1 game. The Rams weren't done yet, as Jamie LaBovick extended her hit streak to 20 games with an RBI-single, scoring Palumbo from second. Fordham finished the inning by scoring two more runs for a 10-1 lead.
The Minutewomen though would not go down without a fight, scoring four times in the bottom of the fourth to make it a 10-5 game.
The Rams responded immediately with three runs in the fifth, regaining an eight-run lead at 13-5. Palumbo led off the inning with a walk, which was quickly followed by a two-run home run to center by LaBovick, her fourth of the year. Fordham then went back-to-back with another solo home run by Fortier, her second of the game and 13th of the season.
Fordham then had a chance to finish the game in the bottom of the frame, but with two out, UMass came up with three consecutive RBI-singles to extend the game and make the score, 13-8.
The Minutewomen continued to surge in the sixth, scoring three times with the bases loaded, closing to within two, 13-11, and had the chance to tie with Anna Kelley, who had already homered in the game, at the plate with the bases loaded and two outs, but Daubman struck out Kelley to end the rally, the first and only strikeout of the game between the two teams.
Fordham would not let the game slip away, scoring four times in the seventh to put the lead at 17-11. With two on and two outs, Ortiz lined a single to left center, scoring Fortier from second base and moving Daubman to third. Lombardo then put the nail in the game with a three-run home run to left center, her fourth of the year.
Daubman then wrapped up the win with a scoreless seventh to post her 11th win of the season. She threw six innings, giving up eight runs on 13 hits, while Taylor Pirone pitched one inning of relief, allowing three runs on five hits.
At the plate, Lombardo had the big day, going 2-for-4 with a double, a home run, and five RBI, while Fortier was 2-for-3 with two home runs and four runs scored. LaBovick finished 2-for-5 with a home run and three RBI with Daubman helping her own cause, going 2-for-2 with two runs scored, a stolen base, and three walks.
The Fordham softball team now heads home for an Atlantic 10 doubleheader on Sunday, April 7th, as the team hosts Rhode Island at Bahoshy Field with the first game slated for noon.
