Rams Win A Pair to Open Season

Box Score 1 | Box Score 2

Game One

Michele Daubman tossed a complete game shutout, surrendering only four hits in seven innings of work as the Rams downed LIU-Brooklyn 5-0 in the season opener.
 
Gabby Luety led the Rams with a home run and a pair of RBIs on the morning, while Daubman, Elise Fortier and Paige Ortiz also knocked in runs for Coach Bridget Orchard.
 
The Rams wasted no time waking up the bats in the first game of the twinbill, as Kayla Lombardo roped a double to center field with one out in the top of the first.  Two batters later, Luety knocked her first home run of the season over the leftcenter field fence, putting the Rams up 2-0.  After Daubman walked, Ortiz knocked her in with a double to leftcenter, bumping the Rams lead to 3-0 by the end of the inning.
 
Lombardo reached base again in the top of the second with a single up the middle and Daubman eventually brought her home with a one-bagger to the shortstop two batters later. 
 
The Blackbirds finally registered a hit off Daubman in the bottom of the fifth, and Fortier responded in the sixth with an RBI single, scoring Brianna Turgeon from second.
 
Daubman (1-0) closed out the contest for her first victory of the season, fanning seven Blackbirds in the process.
 
Game Two
 
The Rams offense exploded in their second game on Friday, hanging up 12 runs in just four frames to down Chattanooga 12-3 in Orlando.
 
Daubman and Ortiz each led the Rams in the second game with three RBIs apiece, while Oritz added her first home run of the campaign.  Lombardo also added a pair of RBIs, while Turgeon, Sydney Canessa and Lauren Quense each batted in a run.
 
Fordham exhibited a stern batting eye in the bottom of the first, earning three runs on bases loaded walks in the inning.  Turgeon also added a sacrifice fly.
 
The Mocs responded with two runs in the top of the second, but Rachel Gillen (1-0) worked herself out of a tough jam before Chattanooga could do anymore damage.
 
Chattanooga scored another run to pull within one, 4-3, in the top of the third, but the Rams soon put to bed any comeback hopes.  After the first two Rams made out in the bottom half of the frame, the Rams sent nine more batters to the plate, hanging up eight runs when it was all said and done.  Canessa started the scoring with an RBI single, followed by Lombardo picking up two RBIs on an error by the pitcher.  After Fortier walked and Luety singled to left, Daubman brought home a pair with a two-RBI double.  An error on the catcher allowed Luety to score during the next at bat before Paige Ortiz blasted a two –run shot over the leftcenter field wall, capping the eight run inning and giving the Rams a 12-3 lead. 
 
Quense came in to pitch the top of the fourth and hurled two no-hit frames, allowed Fordham to run-rule the Mocs after four and a half.
 
Fordham picks up the action tomorrow afternoon with a pair of games against Kansas and South Dakota.  First pitch for those games will come at 3:30 PM and 8:00 PM, respectively.