Softball Drops a Pair to Start the Season

TEMPE, Ariz. -- The Fordham softball team dropped a pair of contests Friday to start the 2015 season at Arizona State's Kajikawa Classic. The Rams lost a heartbreaker, 6-4, in their opener to Nevada, before falling in six innings to Fresno State, 8-0.

Game One
The Rams season started out well as the hosts in their first game of the season when they plated three runs in the bottom of the second to take a 3-0 lead. Sophomore Lindsay Mayer singled home fellow classmate Amy Van Hoven, before freshman Madison Shaw delivered a one-out two-run single to score senior Paige Ortiz and Mayer.

The Wolf Pack got a run back in the top of the fourth on a sacrifice fly, but Fordham answered with a run in the bottom half of the frame when sophomore Sydney Canessa drove home Mayer with a one-out single to left field for a 4-1 advantage.

Senior starting pitcher Michele Daubman worked out of trouble in the fifth and sixth innings but ran into a jam in the top of the seventh after issuing back-to-back walks, before catcher's interference loaded the bases. Nevada's Karley Hopkins then delivered the big blow and cleared the bases to tie the game at 4-4, which ended Daubman's night.

Sophomore Lauren Quense came in relief and issued walk coupled with a wild pitch that advanced Hopkins to third. Megan Sweet's fielder's choice advanced Nevada in front, 5-4, and Amanda Weis produced a key insurance run with a sacrifice fly to left field to extend the lead to 6-4.

Fordham threatened in its last at bat after putting runners on first and second with one out, but a 5-3 line-out double play ended the game.

The Ram offense managed nine hits, with Amy Van Hoven collecting a pair of safeties and scoring a run, while Shaw produced a hit and two RBI out of the eighth slot. Eight out of the nine starters produced a hit.

Daubman (0-1) took the loss in the circle after going 6+ innings, where she allowed five runs (four earned), three walks and two strikeouts.

Chase Redington went the distance for the Wolf Pack, scattering nine hits and four earned runs while walking three and striking out none.

Five different players collected a hit for Nevada, with Hopkins driving home three and Weis a pair.

Game Two
Fresno State scored a two-out run in the bottom of the first, threw out Van Hoven at the plate to end the top of the second, and used a solo home run from Michelle Soloman in the bottom of the third for a 2-0 lead.

Soloman delivered again with a two-run shot in the bottom of the fifth with a two-out two-run shot to extend the advantage to 4-0. Fordham committed two errors in the inning, which resulted in five unearned runs, before a wild pitch in the bottom of the sixth clichéd the victory.

Senior Kayla Lombardo and Meyer managed the only two hits for the Rams, while Soloman, Paige Gumz and Alyssa Villalpando all had two safeties to lead the Bulldogs' seven-hit effort.

Senior Rachel Gillen (0-1) was the tough-luck loser in the circle after issuing five runs (two earned) on six hits in 4.2 innings of work. Jill Compton picked up the win after a one-hit performance over 4.0 innings.

Fordham returns to action Saturday with a pair of games against Pacific at 11:15 a.m. and California at 1:30 p.m.