Softball Drops Two More at Mercer's Orange & Black Challenge Saturday

MACON, Ga. -- The Fordham softball team dropped two more games Saturday at Mercer's Orange & Black Challenge, falling to the hosts, 6-0, before losing to Boston College for the second straight day, 5-4. With the losses, the Rams drop to 6-13 on the season, while the Bears improve to 6-13 and the Eagles to 11-8 overall.

Game One
Fordham managed only three hits in the opener against Mercer, who scored two in the first and one more in the second on a pair of home runs off starter Rachel Gillen, who went the distance in the loss. The graduate student (4-8) allowed six runs – four earned – on eight hits, walked one but did strike out seven.

The Rams only advanced a runner to second base once, which came in the seventh inning when they collected two of their three hits. Junior Sydney Canessa singled and moved to second on fellow classmate Lindsay Mayer's one-out single. Sophomore Morgan Figueroa collected the only other hit for the visitors.

Game Two
Fordham spotted Boston College a 2-0 lead in the bottom of the first, but the Rams answered in the top of the third with four runs to take a 4-2 lead, after leading the sacks packed in the top of the second. With the bases loaded, Mayer singled home freshman Jessica Hughes, before Canessa tied the game at 2-2 when she came around on Gillen's RBI fielder's choice. Later in the frame, sophomore Madison Shaw and Mayer scored when junior Lauren Quense reached on an error.

But the lead was short-lived, as the Eagles hit a pair of solo home runs in the bottom of the third to tie the game at 4-4.

After Fordham hit into some bad luck with runners on first and second with one out in the top of the fourth, Boston College scored the game-winning run in the bottom half with its third solo home run of the game.

The Rams left the potential tying run on second base in the sixth, and Quense provided hope in the top of the seventh with a two-out single, but it was not enough, as the Eagles held on for the 5-4 victory.

Fordham finished with six hits, with Hughes and Quense both collecting a pair. Quense (2-5) was charged with the loss in the circle, as she allowed five earned runs on eight hits to go along with two walks and no strikeouts over 4.0 innings of work. Gillen faced the minimum over the final two innings and whiffed two while not allowing a hit.

Up Next
The Rams return to action Sunday when they face the loser of the Mercer-Iowa State game at 12 p.m. to conclude the tournament.