Softball Shuts Out George Mason in Sweep

FAIRFAX, Va. -- Behind a pair of shutouts from redshirt junior Rachel Gillen and senior Michele Daubman, the Fordham softball team clinched its three-game series with George Mason Saturday at the George Mason Softball Complex. The Rams won the opener, 5-0, before taking the nightcap, 3-0. With the sweep, Fordham increases its win streak to a season-high six games and improves to 31-18 (16-5 A10) on the season, while the Patriots fall to 21-26 (11-11 A10) overall.

Game One
The Rams scored all their necessary runs in the top of the first when they crossed the plate four times to take an early 4-0 lead. Sophomore Lindsay Mayer doubled home fellow classmates Sydney Canessa and Amy Van Hoven, and senior Paige Ortiz went opposite field over the right-center field fence to score Mayer with her team-leading ninth home run of the season.

Mayer capped the scoring in the contest for Fordham in the top of the fourth, as Canessa scored from third on a RBI sacrifice fly to center field that increased the advantage to the final score of 5-0.

Gillen (20-8) went the distance for the 16th time and recorded her seventh shutout en route to collecting her 20th victory, the seventh-most in Rams' single-season history. The southpaw was dominant in the circle, striking out 14 to fall just one short of tying her career high while walking three and scattering five hits. She now has 207 strikeouts this season, the fourth-most in single-season history.

The offense collected 10 hits, with Canessa, Van Hoven and Gillen all collecting two apiece. Canessa added two runs, while Mayer and Ortiz had three and two RBI, respectively.

Casey Herring (8-9) went the distance in the circle for Mason. She allowed five earned runs on 10 hits, walked two and fanned one. Mary O'Connor and Liz Seymour each had two hits for the Patriots.

Game Two
Fordham scored single runs in the second, third and sixth innings, and Daubman (9-8) scattered seven hits, walked one and whiffed two, as she recorded her fourth complete game and second shutout of the season.

Junior Cailin Winokur scored the only run the Rams needed in the top of the second when she tagged from third on freshman Morgan Figueora's RBI sacrifice fly to center field.

Mayer made it 2-0 one inning later with her sixth home run of the season, a solo shot over left field fence, and Canessa added an insurance run in the top of the sixth when she singed home freshman Madison Shaw.

Fordham only managed six hits, as senior Cora Ianiro led the way with a 2-for-4 effort. Mason finished with seven safeties, with Seymour picking up three more in the nightcap.

Christina Gabriele (9-11) was charged with the loss after allowing three earned runs on five hits over 5.2 innings of work while walking seven and striking out two.

Up Next
The Rams conclude the regular season Sunday when the go for the series sweep at 1 p.m. A win coupled with a Saint Louis loss gives Fordham a bye at next week's Atlantic 10 Tournament in Amherst, Mass.