Softball Loses Twice to Start Mercer's Orange & Black Challenge

MACON, Ga. -- The Fordham softball team dropped its first two games of Mercer's Orange & Black Challenge Friday with run-rule losses to Boston College, 9-0 in five innings, and Iowa State, 11-3 in six innings. With the losses, the Rams fall to 6-11 on the season, while the Eagles improve to 8-8 and the Cyclones to 11-4 overall.

Game One
Fordham managed only two hits in the opener against Boston College, who scored six times in the first by slugging three home runs off starter Rachel Gillen. The Southpaw (4-6) lasted just a third of an inning, allowing six earned runs on five hits. Junior Lauren Quense tossed the final 4.1 innings and yielded three earned runs on five hits while walking two and fanning four. The Eagles did not score over the next two frames but clinched the game in the top of the fourth when they scored three more times.
Gillen and sophomore Madison Shaw tallied the only hits for the Rams.

Game Two
Fordham dug itself into an early 3-0 hole after one inning against Iowa State, before Shaw hit her second home run of the season, a solo shot over the right field fence to slice the deficit to 3-1 in the top of the second. The Rams then knotted the game at 3-3 in the top of the fourth with a pair of unearned runs, as junior Sydney Canessa doubled home freshman Jessica Hughes sophomore Morgan Figueora.

The Cyclones quickly answered with three runs in the bottom of the fourth and scored five more times in the bottom of the sixth to claim the victory.

Quense started in the circle and received a no-decision after throwing the first three innings, allowing three earned runs on four hits to go along with two walks. Gillen (4-7) was charged with her second loss of the day after getting touched for eight runs – six earned – on nine hits over 2.2 innings of relief. Offensively, Fordham managed only five hits, with five different players collecting one.

Up Next
The Rams return to action Saturday when they take on Mercer at 12:15 p.m. and will then play later in the day against one of the three teams at either 2:30 or 4:45 p.m.