Softball Splits Doubleheader on Day Two of Pirate Clash

Box Score vs. Saint Francis | Box Score vs. East Carolina

Greenville, N.C. – Saturday was day two of the Pirate Clash and, like Friday, the Fordham softball team split its doubleheader. The Rams picked up a 6-1 win over Saint Francis in game one before falling, 3-2, to hosts East Carolina. With the results, Fordham moves to 6-3 on the season.  
 
The Rams got their revenge in game one, rebounding from a 5-3 extra-inning loss to Saint Francis Friday night by downing the Red Flash, 6-1, Saturday afternoon. Lauren Quense picked up her fifth straight win in five tries with her third complete game of the year, allowing one run on five hits and one walk while striking out five.
 
Fordham got its first two runs via sacrifice flies, one from Sydney Canessa in the first inning to score Amy Van Hoven, and one off the bat of Jessica Hughes in the third to score Morgan Figueroa, the latter serving as the go-ahead run. The Rams scored three in the fourth, first on a Lindsay Mayer RBI double, driving in Canessa, and two RBI fielder's choices. Madison Shaw capped the scoring with a RBI single up the middle to drive in Canessa a second time.
 
Taylor Stocks made her first career start in game two against the Pirates and held the hosts to just one run, a home run in the fourth inning, on three hits and one walk. Fordham rallied in the fifth inning with two big hits, the first a triple off the bat of Morgan Figueroa, eventually scoring on a groundout, and the second coming from Jessica Hughes' solo home run to deep right. The blast was the sophomore's third of the year, already matching last year's total in her ninth contest. Hughes missed Friday's two games due to illness.
 
However, it was Hughes' error on a groundball that led to the Pirates tying the contest up in the bottom of the frame. Madison Aughinbaugh was in the circle for the frame, relieving Stocks, and got the first two outs before giving up a double to ERVIN. On the next pitch, Kacie Oshiro grounded to Hughes but the second baseman booted it to allow Ervin to score the tying run. The Rams threatened in the sixth and seventh innings but couldn't score. In the sixth, Skylar Johnston, who had walked with one out, was gunned down trying to stretch Shaw's single from first to third, and Chelsea Skrepenak popped up with a runner on second. In the seventh, Figueroa, Hughes, and Cansesa loaded the bases with one out. Mayer flied out to left and Figueroa was sent but Ali Ramirez's throw beat her by a few steps.
 
East Carolina walked off with the victory in the bottom of the seventh with two outs. Quense relieved Aughinbaugh with two on and nobody out and induced a foul out on a bunt attempt and struck Ervin out looking for out two. However, Oshiro provided the fireworks with the game-winning double to center.
 
Shaw went 2-for-3 in each contest, with a pair of RBIs, to improve her average to .423 in the early going. Canessa was 3-for-5 with two doubles, two runs, and a RBI in game one. Hughes went 3-of-6 on the day but 3-for-4 in game two with the home run and her second stolen base of the year. Van Hoven had just one hit but it moved her into the top-five all-time in career hits with 206, joining Lindsey Kay Bright. She's nine away from passing Krystle Henry for fourth-most.
 
The Rams are 0-2 against tournament hosts but 6-1 against all other teams. Fordham has one last contest at the Pirate Clash tomorrow against Bryant at 9:30 a.m.