Softball Drops Tulsa on Friday

Box Score (pdf)

Tucson, Ariz. – The Fordham softball team picked up another impressive victory in the Southwest, besting reigning American Athletic Conference champion Tulsa, 7-6, on Friday afternoon, day two of the Hillenbrand Invitational. Fordham improves to 2-1 on the season, while the Golden Hurricane falls to 0-1.
 
Tulsa entered the season garnering votes in the Associated Press Top 25 poll but, like #21 Baylor last night, the Rams gave them a loss to begin their season. Lauren Quense picked up her second win in as many tries, allowing three runs across 6.1 innings. The senior gave up just one run over the first six innings but had to return to the game with two outs in the seventh with the bases loaded and two outs. After allowing a two-run single, Quense induced a groundout for the win.
 
The game started off with a bang, a two-run shot off the bat of reigning Atlantic 10 Rookie of the Year Jessica Hughes off Emily Watson after Amy Van Hoven had walked to start the contest. The bomb was Hughes' second in two days and three games and now is one away from matching last year's tally. Fordham added one run in both the third and fifth innings, with a Lindsay Mayer two-out RBI double scoring Van Hoven in the third and Hughes scoring on a wild pitch with two outs in the fifth. Tulsa got within one in the bottom of the fifth with a one-out three-run homer by Hollingsworth. Quense rebounded by striking out two of her next three batters to get out of the inning.

 
Fordham tacked on three runs in the sixth off reliever Haley Meinen via a two-run bomb by freshman Skylar Johnston, her first career home run, scoring Madison Shaw, and a fielder's choice with one out scoring Chelsea Skrepenak from third, after the 2016 All-Rookie selection had singled and stolen second. That final run would prove to be the difference as the Golden Hurricane made things interesting in the final frame.
 
Taylor Stocks took over for Quense in the circle, with the latter shifting to first base and Shaw moving to designated player. Stocks faced two batters, allowing a solo home run to Estocado and a walk to Hollingsworth before giving way to Madison Aughinbaugh. The Port Tobacco, Md. native got two outs via groundout and strikeout but walked Neal and allowed a single to deep shortstop by Stafford to load the bases. Head coach Bridget Orchard opted to bring Quense back in to close the game out but the senior gave up a two-run single up the middle to pinch hitter Kosmata before another pinch hitter, Spell, grounded out to end the game.
 
Quense doesn't earn the save but she does pick up her second win in as many tries. The senior finished her day with three earned runs in 6.1 innings with nine hits allowed, three walks, and five strikeouts. Van Hoven and Skrepenak notched two and one steals in the contest and Mayer's double served as the first non-home run extra-base hit of the season for the squad. Mayer, Hughes, and Sydney Canessa have thus far picked up hits in all three contests, and Shaw has reached base in all three, as well.
 
Fordham will finished up the Hillenbrand Invitational tomorrow with two games on opposite ends of the day, first against CSUN at 11 a.m. EST and then against Northwestern at 9 p.m. EST. Only the first contest will be streamed live online.