Softball Completes Series Sweep at George Washington

Game One Box Score | Game Two Box Score
 
Washington, D.C. – The Fordham softball team earned its third straight Atlantic 10 series sweep with two victories over second place George Washington on Sunday afternoon. The Rams notched its first win, 8-6, in yet another extra-inning victory, before downing the Colonials, 10-2, in game two. After opening the year 7-13, the Rams have now won 21 of their last 23 and 11 straight overall since the team's lone A10 loss to Massachusetts. Fordham moves to 27-15 (10-1) on the year, while the Colonials fall to 17-18 (5-4).
 
The Rams jumped out to a 6-0 lead in game one after two innings. Sydney Canessa's sacrifice fly brought in Jessica Hughes, who had doubled to start the day, before Lindsay Mayer blasted a solo home run to deep center in the first inning. Lauren Quense, who started all three weekend contests, got through the bottom of the frame without a blemish.
 
In the second, Ally Vergona walked, Chelsea Skrepenak reached on an error, and Morgan Figueroa walked to load the bases with one out. Hughes reached on another error that scored two runs and stole second on the next play. Amy Van Hoven's groundout scored Figueroa and Canessa added a sixth with a single up the middle. Quense gave back three runs in the third on a three-run home run with no outs before settling down to get the next three outs in order.
 
The Rams were able to load the bases in the fourth with two outs but were unable to score. The two teams traded scoreless frames until the fifth when the hosts added one more. Mayer entered the circle looking for a three-inning save but started off by giving up two quick hits, including a RBI double, before setting down the final three batters in a row. After two more scoreless innings, Mayer started the seventh with a five-pitch walk and advanced to third on a fielding error that put Madison Shaw on second with nobody out. However, the Colonials worked out of trouble by garnering a foul out, a strikeout, and a fly out, to keep the deficit at two heading into the bottom of the seventh.
 
Mayer hit Morgan Rinehart to start the frame before allowed a Megan Linn double. Rochelle Draper fouled out to Vergona behind the plate but Alana Anderson ripped a two-run single up the middle to tie the game at six apiece. With a runner on first and one out, Carlee Gray lined out to Shaw at third and the sophomore gunned Anderson down trying to scramble back to base for the final out.
 
The eighth provided two 1-2-3 innings. In the top of the ninth, Canessa led off with a full-count double to center before Ashley Pilcher replaced Paige Kovalsky on the mound. Mayer and Shaw made two outs, in the air and on the ground, respectively, with the latter moving Canessa over to third. Stephanie Ferri walked on five pitches before Vergona stepped up and, with two strikes, smacked a double to left that scored both Canessa and Ferri for the eventual 8-6 result. Mayer finished off the contest with a hitless ninth for her fourth win of the year. The junior fired five innings, allowed six hits and three runs, walked none and struck out three. Canessa was the lone Ram with a multi-hit game, going 2-for-3, with a walk and run.
 
Game two featured early Colonial runs, Fordham matching in the fourth, and the Rams blowing the game open with an seven-run sixth.
 
Linn doubled to open the home half of the first inning and came around to score when Anderson attempted to steal second and got caught in a rundown that took six throws to get the out. Kovalsky added a second in the third with a solo home run to left in the third before the Rams answered in the next frame through an error in the field and a wild pitch to score Madi Shaw and Allie Bradian, respectively. Quense and Jayme Cone traded two scoreless innings until the sixth.
 
Mayer, Shaw, Bradian, and Vergona hit four straight doubles to open up the sixth inning before Cone was replaced by Pilcher as the Rams led, 5-2, with Vergona now on second. Skrepenak was hit by a pitch and Morgan Figueroa was called out on batter's interference before Jess Hughes smacked the fifth double of the inning to left center to score Skrepenak and Maria Trivelpiece, who had come in to run for Vergona. Kovalsky replaced Pilcher with the score at 7-2 and allowed Hughes to advance to third on a wild pitch. Van Hoven sacrificed Hughes in with a fly out to right before Canessa smoked a solo home run to left field on a full count.
 
Mayer replaced Quense to start the sixth and worked around two walks to keep the score at 9-2. Vergona powered a solo home run to center to cap the scoring at 10-2 in the seventh. Mayer worked around another Linn double to record her fifth win of the campaign.
 
Mayer finishes the weekend with two wins and a save and a 2.10 ERA and now has a sterling 5-0 record and three saves, tied seventh-most in a single season in program history. The junior also got it done at the plate by batting .500 (5-for-10) with a home run, two doubles, and four RBIs. The Rams also had five others batting over .300 through the three games and hit .275 as a team.
 
Fordham has a few days off before traveling to South Orange, N.J. to face off against Seton Hall in one nonconference contest on Wednesday, April 13. First pitch is slated for 4 p.m.