TAMPA, Fla. -- The Fordham softball team pounded out a season-high 16 hits and scored eight runs in the top of the sixth to defeat South Florida, 14-6, late Saturday night in South Florida's Presidents' Day Weekend Tournament. With the victory, the Rams improve to 5-4 on the season, while the Bulls, who were receiving votes in both national softball polls, fall to 5-4 overall.
Fordham scored a pair of two-out runs in its first at bat when sophomore Lindsay Meyer doubled home fellow classmate
Sydney Canessa, before scoring on senior
Kayla Lombardo's RBI single for a 2-0 lead.
The lead was extended to 3-0 in the top of the second after Canessa singled home senior
Rachel Gillen, who doubled to lead off the frame.
USF answered and eventually took its first lead of the game with a RBI sacrifice fly in the bottom of the second and three more runs in the bottom of the third to go in front 4-3.
Senior
Cora Ianiro tied the game at 4-4 in the top of the fourth when she scored on senior
Michele Daubman's RBI sacrifice fly to left field.
One inning later, Fordham regained the lead with its second RBI sacrifice fly after Gillen drove home Daubman, who doubled to start the inning.
But the Bulls responded in the bottom of half the fifth on a RBI single and a RBI fielder's choice to retake the lead, 6-5.
It was all Rams after that, as they sent 12 batters to the plate in the top of the sixth and scored eight times to take a commanding 13-6 lead. Back-to-back singles from Ianiro and Canessa started the inning, before Ianiro scored on sophomore
Amy Van Hoven's RBI single through the right side to tie the contest at 6-6.
After Daubman walked to load the bases, Fordham then took advantage of wild pitching and scored three straight runs on RBI walks to go ahead 9-6. Gillen and junior
Allie Bradian then followed with RBI singles to extend the advantage to 11-6. Canessa came to the plate and capped the scoring with a two-run single that plated Bradian and Ianiro, which stretched the lead to 13-6.
In the top of the seventh, Lombard tripled with two outs and scored on a wild pitch to make the final tally, 14-6.
Canessa established a new career high in hits after going 4-for-4 with three RBI to tie a career high and two runs out of the leadoff spot. Gillen finished a perfect 3-for-3 and two RBI, while Lombard went 3-for-4 with a walk, two RBI and three runs. Mayer added two hits, two RBI and two runs; Van Hoven recoded two hits; and Ianiro came around to score three times.
Junior
Patti Maloney (1-0) earned the victory in the circle after tossing 2.1 innings of scoreless relief, where she scattered three hits and struck out one. Gillen started and received a no-decision after 4.2 innings of work. She was tagged with six earned runs on eight hits to go along with five walks and five strikeouts.
The Bulls used four pitchers in the contest, and Erica Nunn (1-3) was charged with the loss when she yielded five earned runs on three hits in 0.2 innings. USF registered 11 hits, with Juli Weber, Lee Ann Spivey, Morgan Litchfield and Cassidy Boyle all collecting two. Litchfield finished with three RBI, while Spivey and Lauren Evans scored twice.
The Rams conclude the tournament Sunday morning when they take on Detroit at 11:15 a.m., as they look to construct a three-game win streak.
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