Game Two Victory Earns Split for Softball at Saint Louis

ST. LOUIS -- The Fordham softball team opened Atlantic 10 play Saturday with a doubleheader split against Saint Louis at the Billiken Sports Center. The Rams dropped game one, 5-3, before rebounding to win the nightcap, 8-5. With the split, Fordham moves to 12-11 (1-1 A10) on the season, while the Billikens go to 16-9 (1-1 A10) overall.

Game One
The two sides entered the bottom of the seventh tied at 3-3, and redshirt junior Rachel Gillen opened the frame with her 11th strikeout. She then allowed a one-out single but responded with her 12th strikeout for the second out. Alex Nickel stepped to the plate for SLU and was given the opportunity to win the game when Hailey Weavers stole second and advanced to third on a throwing error. But it was all unnecessary, as Nickel slugged the game-winning walk-off two-run homer over the center field fence to clinch the victory.

The contest started out well for the Rams, who scored three times in the top of the first to take the early 3-0 lead. Sophomore Sydney Canessa led off with a single and advanced to second when the second baseman could not handle the throw from the pitcher on fellow classmate Amy Van Hoven's fielder's choice. Sophomore Lindsay Mayer followed with a single up the middle to load the bases.

Senior Michele Daubman worked a bases-loaded walk to plate Canessa, and senior Kayla Lombardo increased the lead to 2-0 with a RBI single through the right side that scored Van Hoven. After a strikeout, Gillen also collected a RBI walk, as Mayer came around to score. But Fordham was unable to tack on more runs and left the bases loaded after a pair of strikeouts halted the threat.

The Rams continued to strand runners in scoring position over the next two innings, before finally going down in order in the fourth. Gillen, who was cruising through the first three innings, started the bottom of the inning with a strikeout but then yielded back-to-back singles. After a fielder's choice moved the runners to second and third, Gillen was tagged by Alyssa Tarquinio, who knocked a two-out three-run homer over the left field fence, which knotted the contest at 3-3.

Both sides failed to take advantage of runners on base in the fifth, before going down in order in the sixth. Fordham also went 1-2-3 in the top of the seventh, unlike the Billikens.

Gillen (7-5) went the distance and pitched very well in the loss, with the exception of the two two-out home runs. She fanned 12, walked two and allowed five earned runs on six hits. The offense only managed six hits, with Lombardo going a perfect 3-for-3.

Brianna Lore (7-6) also went the distance in the circle to collect the victory. She allowed three runs (two earned) on six hits, walked two and struck out eight. Six different players collected a hit for SLU.

Game Two
The Rams spotted the Billikens a 2-0 lead in the third inning but scored eight times over the final four frames to hang on for the victory. Daubman led off the top of the fourth with her third home run of the season, before Fordham scored twice with two outs in the fifth to take a 3-2 lead.

Senior Paige Ortiz singled to start the inning and was lifted for freshman pinch runner Morgan Figueroa. After back-to-back fielder's choices, Van Hoven tripled home Canessa, while Mayer singled home Van Hoven.

SLU answered in the bottom of the fifth when Lore stroked a two-out RBI double that ended Daubman's day in the circle, as Gillen came on in relief and recorded another strikeout to end the inning. She then helped herself out in the top of the sixth with a two-run single. Lombardo and senior Cora Ianiro came around to score to make it 5-3.

The Rams added three big insurance runs in the top of the seventh when Ianiro hit her second home run of the season, a three-run shot that scored Daubman and Lombardo, as the duo both singled in front of the blast.

Gillen issued another two-run homer in the bottom of the seventh, which sliced the advantage to 8-5, but that was the only damage the Billikens did.

Gillen (8-5) earned the victory in the circle after tossing the final 2.1 innings. She allowed two earned runs on three hits, walked none and whiffed three. Daubman scattered 10 hits over 4.2 innings in the no-decision. She yielded three earned runs and also did not walk a batter while fanning three.

The offense bounced back with 11 hits, with Van Hoven, Daubman and Ortiz all collecting a pair. Daubman, Lombardo and Ianiro all scored a pair of runs, while Ianiro picked up three RBI on her long ball.

Maddie Baalman (4-3) took the loss in the circle after allowing five earned runs on seven hits in 5.0 innings of work. Lore and Lindsay Friedman each had three hits to pace the Billikens' 13-hit attack.

The two sides conclude the series Sunday with a single contest beginning at 1 p.m. EST.