CLEARWATER, Fla. -- The Fordham softball team started the Michele Smith Pediatric Cancer Foundation Invitational Friday with a split. The Rams rallied in their opener to defeat DePaul, 6-5, before being run-ruled in five innings by South Florida, 11-2. With the split, Fordham moves to 2-5 on the season, while the Blue Demons fall to 2-4 and the Bulls improve to 2-4.
Game OneTrailing 5-4 heading into the bottom of the sixth, sophomore Morgan Figueora led the frame off with a single to left field and advanced to second on junior
Lauren Quense's sacrifice bunt. After freshman
Chelsea Skrepenak popped up to second base for the second out, fellow classmate
Jessica Hughes worked a two-out walk to bring junior
Amy Van Hoven to the dish. The Ram second baseman then delivered a two-out, two-run double to left field to plate Figueora and Hughes, which proved to be the game-winning hit.
Quense (1-2) clinched the victory by tossing a 1-2-3 seventh inning to earn her first victory of the season in the circle. She pitched the final three innings for Fordham and allowed one earned run on one hit, walked none and fanned two. Graduate student
Rachel Gillen got the start and went the first four innings, as she allowed four runs – one earned – on three hits, walked two and did not record a strikeout.
DePaul scored single runs over the first two innings to take a 2-0 lead, before Skrepenak worked a bases-loaded two-out walk that scored junior
Lindsay Mayer, which cut the deficit in half.
After the Blue Demons answered with two runs in the top of third to increase their lead to 4-1, Mayer drove home Van Hoven with a RBI sacrifice fly in the bottom half to slice the lead to 4-2.
The Rams finally got even in the bottom of the fifth when junior
Sydney Canessa knotted the game at 4-4 with a two-out, two-run homer over the left field fence, as Van Hoven came around for the ride as well. The home run was Fordham's first of the season.
DePaul retook the lead in the top of the sixth with its second home run of the game, before the Rams' rally in the bottom of the inning.
Van Hoven, Mayer and Figueora each had two hits for the Rams, who finished with eight. Van Hoven and Canessa both had two RBI, and Van Hoven added two runs and a stolen base.
The Blue Demons managed only four hits but took advantage of two Fordham errors. Morgan Maize (2-3) went the distance in the circle and took the loss, as she allowed six runs – five earned – on eight hits, walked three and whiffed two.
Game TwoThe Rams fell behind 3-0 in the first to South Florida, who then scored five times in the top of the third and once more in the fourth to stretch its lead out to 9-0.
Fordham plated both of its runs in the bottom of the fourth when Mayer doubled home Canessa, before coming around to score on freshman
Jordana Storm's RBI single.
The Bulls then put the game away with two more runs in the top of the fifth to make the final score 11-2. South Florida pounded out 15 hits and also took advantage of two Ram errors.
Gillen (1-3) was charged with the loss after being tagged for eight runs – six earned – on 11 hits over 3.0 innings of work. She once again walked two and did not record a strikeout. Quense tossed the final two innings and struck out a pair. The offense managed only four hits, with four different players recording a safety and Hughes stealing a base.
Cheyenne Eggins (2-0) went the distance in the circle for the Bulls. She allowed two earned runs on four hits, walked one and fanned two. Lauren Evans finished 3-for-3 with two runs and three RBI to pace the offense.
Up NextFordham returns to action Saturday when it takes on #19/20 James Madison in a season-opening rematch at 11 a.m., and will then take on #12/14 Tennessee immediately following the conclusion of the contest with the Dukes.
