Ferri's Double, Rams Pitching Boost Softball to 1-0 Win at Iona

Box Score

New Rochelle, N.Y. -- Rachel Gillen and Lauren Quense combined for a nine-inning three-hit shutout, while Stephanie Ferri entered the game in the fifth inning and provided the only offense on the day in the ninth inning with a two-out RBI ground-rule double as the Fordham softball team defeated neighboring Iona College, 1-0, on the road in nonconference play. The win gives the Rams two straight victories and 11 in their last 13 overall. The result moves Fordham to 18-15 (2-1 A10) on the season, while the Gaels fall to 6-17 overall.

Sophomore Jessica Harkness was in the circle for all nine innings at Donald E. Walsh Field and allowed just two hits through 8.2 innings with four strikeouts in the team's home opener.

Gillen started for the Rams and went four innings with just one hit and one walk allowed and six strikeouts. Quense replaced the grad student on the bump in the fifth and held on for her seventh win of the campaign by twirling five innings of two-hit no-run ball. The junior allowed just two hits, two walks, and struck out four.

The Rams threatened right off the bat in the first when Jessica Hughes walked to start the game, stole second after Amy Van Hoven fouled out, stole third after Sydney Canessa popped out to first, but wasn't able to come around when Lindsay Mayer popped out as well. Gillen struck out two in each of her first two innings. Harkness struck out the side in the second.

The Rams again had runners in scoring position in the third after Morgan Figueroa reached on an error and Hughes walked again but after Van Hoven sacrificed the pair over, Canessa flied out to center. Gillen turned in a third straight perfect inning with another strikeout. Fordham again put a runner on second right away in the fourth when Mayer singled to the outfield and advanced on a muffed throw but the next three batters were sent down in order.

The Gaels had their first opportunity in the bottom of the frame when Ashlyn Morris led off with an infield single. Marisa Gergel sacrificed Morris over but Gillen was able to get Christine Costello out swinging before walking Kristen Turner. After the first seven pitches to Katie Newton, Gillen was able to get her to pop out to end the inning.

In the fifth, Hughes was again able to get on base without picking up a hit, this time by getting hit. The two-time defending A-10 Rookie of the Week promptly stole her third base of the day but, with two outs, she was unable to score as Van Hoven grounded out to end the threat. Head Coach Bridget Orchard made five changes in the field later in the inning, most notably Quense replacing Gillen in the circle. The junior struck out two in her first hitless inning of work.

Both teams traded minor threats over the next two innings but both pitchers worked out of trouble, including a rare 5-3-6 double play by Fordham in the seventh to end the inning. Both team went down in order in the eighth.

Mayer and Gillen flied out to start the ninth inning as the sun started setting behind home plate. Madison Shaw, hitless to that point, took a 1-0 pitch and ripped a single to center field to start the rally. The sophomore advanced a couple pitches later on a wild pitch. On the next pitch, Stephanie Ferri, who had entered in the fifth for Ally Vergona, roped a RBI ground-rule double over the left centerfield wall, giving the Rams a 1-0 lead.

The Gaels made things very interesting in the bottom of the frame with a one-out double to the left field wall by Courtney Miller. Costello flew out to right field and Miller feigned running but Skrepenak's throw sailed just high of Mayer at third and Miller took off, just making it before the back-up throw reached third. Turner was intentionally walked to set up runners on the corners with two outs. On a 1-0 pitch by Quense, Newton got twisted up and fouled the pitch off lightly down the third base line. Mayer ran up and dove to make the final out.

After over two and a half hours of play, the Rams netted their 18th win of the season and first combined shutout of the spring, and sixth overall.

Fordham is back in action this weekend in Atlantic 10 play when the team travels down to Philadelphia to take on Saint Joseph's in a three-game set. Saturday sees a doubleheader start at noon before a one-off on Sunday also starting at noon.