ST. LOUIS -- The Fordham softball team saw a five-run lead evaporate to Saint Louis over the final three innings, as the Billikens scored three times in the seventh to shock the Rams, 11-10, Sunday in Atlantic 10 action at the Billiken Sports Center. With the loss, the Rams fall to 12-12 (1-2 A10) on the season, while SLU wins the series and improves to 17-9 (2-1 A10) overall.
Fordham led 8-0 entering the bottom of the second and increased its advantage out to 10-5 after the Billikens scored five unanswered by the end of the fourth inning. SLU pulled to within two at 10-8 after six innings, before collecting its second walk-off win in the three-game set.
Defense lets the Rams down in the bottom of the seventh. A fielding error by the second baseman started the rally, before a hit by pitch placed runners on first and second with one out. After a groundout to the pitcher advanced runners to second and third, Brianna Lore singled to right field to plate a pair of unearned runs. Lore then advanced to second on the play when the right fielder committed an error.
The error proved to be costly, as the next batter, Alyssa Tarquinio delivered the game-winning RBI single to center field.
Senior
Michele Daubman (2-5), who entered in relief to start the sixth, was the tough-luck loser after yielding four runs (one earned) on two hits while walking none and striking out one. Redshirt junior
Rachel Gillen started in the circle and lasted only 3.0 innings. The southpaw allowed five earned runs on five hits, walked one and did not record a strikeout. Junior
Patti Maloney tossed 2.0 innings and gave up two runs (one earned) on two hits, walked none and whiffed three.
The day started out promising for Fordham with its offensive start. Sophomore
Lindsay Mayer reached on an infield single with two outs in the top of the first and came around on senior
Kayla Lombardo's RBI double to the gap in right-center field to produce the early 1-0 lead.
The bats erupted for the Rams in the top of the second when they 11 batters to the plate and scored seven times (all with two outs) to blow the advantage out to 8-0. Sophomore
Amy Van Hoven and Mayer worked back-to-back bases-loaded walks to score senior
Paige Ortiz and freshman
Madison Shaw, before Lombardo singled home sophomore
Sydney Canessa to stretch the lead to 4-0.
Daubman followed with a two-run double to the right-center field gap that plated Van Hoven and Mayer, which knocked Lore out of the game for the Billikens. Maddie Baalman entered in relief, and senior
Cora Ianiro greeted her with a two-run double of her own that scored Lombardo and Daubman.
SLU took two runs back in the bottom of the second on a pair of solo home runs from Allie Macfarlane and Hailey Weavers, before Macfarlane slugged a three-run bomb in the bottom of the third to slice the Ram lead to 8-5.
Fordham took advantage of poor Billiken defense in the top of the fifth and scored a pair of unearned runs to stretch its lead back out to five at 10-5. Maloney singled home Daubman, before senior
Brianna Turgeon knocked in Ianiro with a RBI sacrifice fly.
But SLU answered with two more runs in the bottom half on Mackenzie Peter's home run and Macfarlane's RBI single. Weaver's second home run of the game in the bottom of the sixth cut the deficit to 10-8.
The Rams finished the game with nine hits, as Mayer, Lombardo and Ianiro all had two. Lombardo, Daubman, Ianiro each had two RBI, while Mayer and Daubman scored twice.
Baalman (5-3) picked up the victory in the circle after tossing the final 5.1 innings, where she allowed two unearned runs on three hits to go along with one walk and two strikeouts. Lore was tagged for eight earned runs on six hits in 1.2 innings of work.
Macfarlane finished 3-for-4 with two home runs and five RBI, and Peter and Weaver both had two hits and two runs. The Billikens finished with 10 hits.
Fordham returns to action Tuesday, March 24 when it takes on Northwestern at Hofstra University. First pitch is scheduled for 5 p.m. in Hempstead, N.Y.
Â
