Softball Goes The Distance Against #6 Oregon

Box Score  
The Fordham softball team gave the 6^th-ranked team in the nation, the Oregon Ducks, all they could handle on Saturday morning in the Rams' final game of the 2014 Mary Nutter Collegiate Classic in Cathedral City, California.
 
The Rams' upset bid though would come up short, as the #6 Ducks won the game, 3-2.
 
Fordham jumped out to the early lead in the second, when Paige Ortiz cranked out a home run to left center, her second of the season.
 
Oregon responded with a three runs in the bottom half of the frame to grab a 3-1 lead.  Janelle Lindvall opened the inning with a double, followed by a sacrifice bunt.  After a walk to Jasmine Smithson-Willett, she would steal second, while the pitch got by Gabby Luety, allowing Lindvall to score on a wild pitch.  Alyssa Gillispie then reached on a bunt single, which scored Smithson-Willett from third.  Then, Nikki Udria hit a ball that ricocheted off Fordham pitcher Rachel Gillen and second baseman Amy Van Hoven for an infield hit, allowing Gillespie to score.
 
The Rams though would fight on against the Ducks, almost tying the game in the fifth.  With runners at second and third and two outs, Elise Fortier ripped a single through the left side, scoring Brianna Ciuffi from third.  Sydney Canessa also tried to score on the play from second, but was tagged out at home on the throw from left field.
 
Fordham against threatened to tie the game in the sixth, as Gabby Luety drew a leadoff walk, and was pinch run for by Cailin Winokur.  Michele Daubman then lined a shot to center that got by the centerfielder as she took a bad angle on the ball.  The ball rolled all the way to the wall, with Winkour trying to score from first base on the play.  Winokur though would also get thrown out at the plate, as Oregon catcher Janelle Lindvall put down the tag off the relay throw from second baseman Koral Costa.
 
The Rams had one final chance in the seventh, when Canessa lined a single to right with two outs.  Oregon relief pitcher Cheridan Hawkins though would strike out Van Hoven to end the game and earn a save.
 
For Fordham, Gillen (1-2) put together her best outing of the season, tossing six innings and allowing three runs on six hits with two strikeouts.  At the plate, Fortier was 2-for-3 with an RBI, while Ortiz was 1-for-3 with a home run.
 
The Fordham softball team will next be in action February 28-March 2 at the Diamond 9 College Citrus Classic, held at Disney's Wide World of Sports in Orlando, Florida.  The first game for the Rams will be against Notre Dame and can be seen on ESPN3.com.