Softball Drops George Washington, 3-1, in Series Opener

Box Score

Washington, D.C. – The Fordham softball team won its seventh straight Atlantic 10 match-up with a 3-1 victory over George Washington on the road on a dreary rainy Saturday afternoon. With the win, the Rams have improved to 25-15 (8-1) on the season, while the Colonials fall to 17-16 (5-2) overall.
 
What was originally scheduled to be a doubleheader turned into one Saturday contest but dreary rainy weather caused a minor rain delay before the two teams were able to get onto the field.
 
Lauren Quense notched her 10^th win of the season with four innings of one-run ball, allowing four hits and a pair of walks, while striking out two. Lindsay Mayer drove in all three runs on the day and also notched her second career save with three one-hit scoreless innings. Mayer did not walk anyone and struck out three.
 
Jessica Hughes, serving as the designated player yet again, started the game off with a walk and her 24^th stolen base of the campaign. Amy Van Hoven, one of Wednesday's walk-off heroes, singled through the right side to advance Hughes to third but was deemed to have left early while attempting to steal second base. Sydney Canessa walked and stole her 10^th base of the year and Mayer drove a ball out to left to advance the two runners and notch the game's first run. Madison Shaw walked as well but Canessa was thrown out at home on a double steal attempt.
 
Quense and Sarah Costlow held the respective offenses off the  board until the bottom of the fourth when Quense allowed a RBI double to Morgan Metetic after walking Monica Macciarulo with one out. The junior was able to retire two of the next three batters to keep the game at one apiece but the Rams plated the go-ahead runs in the following frame.
 
Morgan Figueroa kicked the fifth off with an infield shortstop but the Rams' one and two hitters made two quick outs. With Van Hoven on first thanks to a fielder's choice, Canessa picked up her third walk of the game and Mayer ripped a double to left center to score her teammates, 3-1.
 
Mayer entered the game to relieve Quense and allowed her only baserunner, a two-out single up the middle, later in the inning. Stephanie Ferri's sixth inning single was the last hit of the contest. The junior catcher also had a double earlier in the game.
 
With her offensive output, Mayer has overtaken Canessa for the team lead with 31 RBIs. Hughes notched her 20^th walk of the campaign and Canessa's three moves her to 19 on the season. Hughes is now two stolen bases away from tying Melissa Andrews for second all-time in a single season.

The Rams have now won nine straight overall and 19 of their last 21 since a win over Iowa State in early March.
 
Fordham's doubleheader at George Washington tomorrow is slated to begin at 12 p.m.