THREE-PEAT!!! Softball Slams Dayton, 8-2, to Win the Atlantic 10 Championship

AMHERST, Mass. -- For the third year in a row and for the fourth time in five years, the Fordham softball team is the Atlantic 10 champions. The Rams used a pair of four-run innings to defeat top-seeded Dayton, 8-2, Saturday in the finals at Sortino Field. With the victory, Fordham clinches its third consecutive NCAA Tournament berth and fifth overall in the last six years, extends its win streak to 11 games, and improves to 36-18 on the season, while the Flyers see their season end at 39-14 overall.

The Rams broke a scoreless tie in the top of the fourth when they scored four times to take a 4-0 lead. Senior Kayla Lombardo started the rally by reaching on an error by the shortstop, before redshirt junior Rachel Gillen sent her to third with a double down the right field line, which knocked Dayton starter Gabrielle Snyder out of the circle and brought in A-10 Rookie of the Year Manda Cash.

Cash induced senior Paige Ortiz into a pop up to shortstop, before senior Michele Daubman sent a high fly ball into the jet stream moving towards left field. The left fielder almost made an incredible catch, which caused confusion on the field. What would come out of it was Lombardo scoring from third on the RBI single, with Gillen staying at second base, and Fordham taking a 1-0 lead.

Senior Cora Ianiro was plunked in the back to the load the bases, before senior Brianna Turgeon hit into a RBI fielder's choice to third base to score Gillen. Sophomore Sydney Canessa then followed with a two-out, two-run double to right field, scoring Ianiro and Turgeon to stretch the lead to 4-0. The hit proved to be the eventual game-winning hit for the Rams.

Gillen, who was tossing a perfect game over the first 4.1 innings, finally allowed a hit with one out in the fifth. After a walk and an error loaded the bases and brought the tying run to the plate, Gillen buckled down and induced a pair of pop ups to end the Flyer threat.

But Dayton did finally make a dent on the scoreboard in the top of the sixth when A-10 Player of the Year Tiffany Ricks hit a first-pitch, two-out, opposite-field, two-run homer over the right field fence to slice the Fordham lead in half to 4-2. Kailee Budicin followed with a single to once again bring the tying run to the plate, but Gillen struck out Kayla Haberstich for her third strikeout of the inning.

The Rams saved their best for last in the top of the seventh when they scored four more times to put the game away at 8-2. Sophomores Amy Van Hoven and Lindsay Mayer singled and Lombardo was hit by a pitch for the second time to load the bases with one out. After freshman Morgan Figueroa came in as a pinch runner for Lombardo, Gillen then stepped to the plate and clinched the Championship's Most Outstanding Player Award when she hit a 1-0 pitch to dead center for a grand slam for her fifth home run of the season.

Gillen (23-8) worked around a single and a walk in the bottom of the seventh, and her seventh strikeout of the game clinched the three-peat championship for the Rams. She went the distance for the 18th time, collected her 23rd victory, scattered five hits, walked two and fanned seven. She also finished 2-for-4 at the plate with a double, grand slam, two runs and four RBI. Van Hoven also has two hits for Fordham, who finished with nine, while Canessa added two RBI.

Snyder (8-5) was charged with the loss after yielding two runs (one earned) on four hits while walking one and striking out two. Cash allowed four runs (two earned) on four this, walked none and struck out four, while A-10 Pitcher of the Year Kayla English gave up the grand slam to Gillen and finished with a line of two earned runs on one hit over 0.2 innings. Budacin finished with two of the Flyers' five hits, while Ricks had both RBI on her home run.

Joining Gillen on the All-Tournament Team was Canessa, Mayer and senior Cora Ianiro. Also making the team was Cash, Snyder and Ricks along with Liz Seymour and Brooke Blankenship of George Mason, Michelle Hagarty of La Salle and Kelli Rohan of St. Bonaventure.

The Rams find out where they will play in the NCAA Tournament when ESPNU hosts the selection show Sunday night at 10 p.m.