RALEIGH, N.C. -- Sophomore
Lindsay Mayer's RBI single in the bottom of the ninth propelled the Fordham softball team to a 3-2 extra-inning victory Saturday night over Lipscomb at the N.C. State Hyatt Place Invitational. With the win, the Rams improve to 11-8 on the season, while the Bison fall to 9-13 overall.
Fordham battled weather all day, which dictated a change in the schedule that set up the game with Lipscomb. The Rams were originally slated to play Longwood and #25/#25 North Carolina State, and play both teams Sunday.
The ninth inning was drama filled because of a 1-1 tie after seven innings. Neither side was successful in the eight, but the Bisons took advantage of the international tie-breaker rule when Kelly Young gave Lipscomb a 3-2 lead with a two-out RBI single.
However, Fordham used the rule to its success in the bottom of the ninth. Senior
Cora Ianiro was placed on second base to start the inning and stood ground when senior
Paige Ortiz reached on an error by the third baseman. After redshirt junior
Rachel Gillen flew out to center field, freshman
Morgan Figueroa singled home Ianiro to tie the contest at 2-2.
Sophomore Sidney Canessa then singled to load the bases, but sophomore
Amy Van Hoven forced the second out when she grounded out to the shortstop, who threw home to record the second out, setting up Mayer's game-winning hit.
The biggest performer of the game was Gillen (7-3), who pitched all nine innings to collect her fifth complete game of the season. The southpaw yielded an unearned run in the first, before shutting down the Bisons over the next seven innings. Gillen scattered five hits, walked only one and struck out 12, while delivering a RBI double in the bottom of the second to knot the game at 1-1.
Young (4-7), who thought she helped herself out in the top of the ninth, was charged with the loss in a complete-game effort. She scattered 10 hits, walked one, fanned five and allowed only one earned run.
Figueroa finished 4-for-4 with a run and a RBI to pace the Rams' 10-hit attack. Mayer added two hits and a RBI, while Ianiro scored twice.
Fordham concludes the tournament Sunday with the two prior contests mentioned. The Rams face Longwood at 2 p.m., before playing the hosts at 4:15 p.m.
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