Box Score May 10, 2013
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AMHERST, Mass. -
It may have been only Jamie LaBovick's third time in the circle since the beginning of April, but the senior shined on Friday, surrendering only two hits and no earned runs in five and two thirds innings of work to lift Fordham to a spot in the Atlantic 10 Championship Game.
Fordham and Saint Joe's will meet for the fourth time this year in the Atlantic 10 Championship Game. First pitch is slated for 10 AM on Saturday. Should the Rams win that game, they will advance to the NCAA Tournament for the third time in four years. A loss would force a deciding winner-take-all contest between the Rams and the Hawks.
Fordham's 1-2-3 batters all registered multi-hit games, as LaBovick, Chelsea Palumbo and Elise Fortier all picked up a pair of hits.
The Rams wasted no time waking up the bats on Friday morning. LaBovick led off the action with a single up the middle, followed by a bunt single to third by Palumbo. With two runners on, Fortier drove a single to left, bringing in LaBovick and giving the Rams a 1-0 lead. After Gabby Luety struck out for the inning's first out, Michele Daubman gave one a ride to deep center field, bringing home Palumbo from third on the sac fly. With Fortier at third, Atlantic 10 Pitcher of the Year Taryn Ashway let one get away from her and the Coventry, R.I., native scored on the wild pitch. Following a half inning of play, the Rams led 3-0.
After LaBovick retired the Hawks in order in the bottom of the first, the Rams threatened again in the top of the second. Brianna Turgeon, Sammi Smith and LaBovick all singled, giving the Rams bases loaded with one out. With the bases juiced, Palumbo stepped to the plate and lined one to third base, where Morgan Earling turned an impressive unassisted double play.
The double play theme continued in the next half inning, as LaBovick started a tough 1-6-3 twin-killing following a leadoff walk. Smith corralled a fly ball in right to end the inning and the Rams maintained their 3-0 lead after two.
Fortier singled to lead off the third and Liz Mendez came in to relieve Ashway. The hurler from Princeton Junction, N.J., exited the inning unscathed and the Rams led 3-0 heading into the bottom of the third.
LaBovick finally surrendered a hit in the bottom of the frame, but the Hawks failed to move a run across.
Pitching dominated the next few innings, as neither player in the circle surrendered a hit in the fourth or in the top half of the fifth.
Saint Joe's finally scored in the bottom of the fifth as Morgan Earling came across on a broken play to narrow the deficit to two.
Fordham went scoreless in the top of the sixth, but LaBovick and Daubman combined to blank the Hawks in the bottom half of the frame, allowing the Rams to carry a 3-1 lead into the seventh.
Ortiz and LaBovick drew walks in the seventh to give Fordham runners on first and second with one out. Palubmo continued her tear with a single to load the bases, but center fielder Dana Parks made a shoe string catch on Fortier in shallow center for the inning's second out in the next at bat. Luety then struck out looking to end the inning.
Daubman came back into the circle to start the bottom of the seventh after retiring one batter in the sixth and downed the Hawks to secure Fordham's trip to the championship game.
Saturday's game(s) will be covered on Atlantic10.com, with live streaming video and GameTracker provided by the conference.
