GREENVILLE, S.C. -- The Fordham softball team saw its five-game win streak snapped Saturday in a 7-3 loss to Gardner-Webb at Pepsi Stadium to conclude Furman's Paladin Classic. With the loss, the Rams fall to 8-5 on the season, while the Runnin' Bulldogs improve to 2-7 overall.
Fordham took an early 1-0 lead in the bottom of the first when sophomore
Amy Van Hoven scored on senior
Kayla Lombardo's one-out RBI single down the left-field line.
Two innings later, Gardner-Webb answered in a big way, scoring four times in the top of the third to go in front 4-1. Ram starter
Lauren Quense loaded the bases to start the inning and allowed a two-run double, a RBI sacrifice fly and another RBI double before being pulled in favor of junior
Patti Maloney, who recorded a pair of fly outs to end the frame.
In the bottom of the third, Van Hoven was plunked by a pitch, stole second and scored on senior
Michele Daubman's RBI single to left-center field, slicing the deficit to 4-2.
Lombardo followed with a one-out double to the left-center field gap that forced Runnin' Bulldogs starting pitcher Summer Darnell from the contest. Her replacement, Ashley Wark, halted the Fordham threat with a strikeout and groundout.
Both sides scored a two-out run in the fourth inning, as sophomore
Stephanie Ferri scored an unearned run when Van Hoven reached base on a throwing error by third baseman, which cut the advantage to 5-3.
Gardner-Webb used a lead-off home run from Amanda Gomes, before Wark helped herself out with a RBI groundout in the top of the fifth to increase the Runnin' Bulldog lead to 7-3.
The Rams were not done and climbed back to within 7-5 on senior
Cora Ianiro's first home run of the season, a two-run shot over the center field fence plating freshman
Morgan Figueroa. But it was not enough, as Gardner-Webb came away with the victory.
Fordham finished with six hits, as Lombardo led the way with two and a RBI, while Van Hoven came around to score twice and stole a base. Ianiro added two RBI on her round-tripper.
Quense (1-2) was charged with the loss in the circle after lasting just 2.1 innings. She allowed four earned runs on four hits, walked three and fanned two. Maloney scattered three hits, walked one, whiffed one and gave up two earned runs in 1.2 innings of work, while redshirt junior
Rachel Gillen tossed the final 3.0 innings and was touched for one earned run on three hits to go along with three strikeouts and no walks.
Wark (1-5) pitched the final 4.2 innings to record the win in the circle. She limited the Rams to three runs (two earned) on two hits, walked one and struck out two. Rachel Cumisky and Gomes combined to go 6-for-10 with five RBI to pace the Gardner-Webb offense, which finished with 10 hits. Savannah Burns and Taylar Pridgen each added two safeties, with Pridgen scoring twice.
Fordham returns to action next weekend, Feb. 27-March 1 at the Citrus Classic in Orlando, Fla. The Rams will play against Maryland, Penn State, Georgia, Georgetown and Minnesota.
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