Raleigh, N.C. – The Fordham softball team picked up its sixth and seventh consecutive victories in different fashions on Saturday afternoon, day two of the Homewood Suites by Hilton RDU/RTP Invitational, defeating the hosts, North Carolina State, with a thrilling seven-run seventh inning comeback, then run-ruling Rutgers for the second straight day, 14-5, in five innings. With the wins, the Rams improve to 14-4 on the year.
Lauren Quense was in line for just her second loss of the year in her 12
th start but delivered the go-ahead runs with her second career grand slam and first round-tripper of the season. Fordham scored seven runs in the final frame and withstood a late Wolfpack rally to hold on for the 8-7 victory. Quense moved to 10-1 on the year with the result.
Sydney Canessa became the eighth Ram to reach the 200-hit milestone with a double off the outfield wall in the third inning.
Madison Shaw started the scoring later in the inning with a sacrifice fly to score
Amy Van Hoven but the Rams could not add to their tally with runners on second and third. N.C. State took the lead in the bottom of the frame when Kobziak hit a two-run home run off Quense, and the Wolfpack extended their lead with another two-run home run in the fifth, off the bat of Ross, and a RBI single in the sixth off
Madison Aughinbaugh in relief.
Fordham rallied with one out in the seventh, starting with a Hughes walk, a Van Hoven double to right center, and a Canessa walk to load the bases.
Lindsay Mayer walked in a run after falling behind 0-2 and the Rams picked up two more runs when the Wolfpack shortstop committed an error.
Skylar Johnston reached on an error by the second baseman a batter later to re-load the bases and Quense stepped up to drill her shot to dead centerfield, putting Fordham up, 8-5.
Taylor Stocks came on in relief but allowed three of the first four batters to reach base, loading the bases with one out. Quense returned to the circle from first base and allowed a RBI single to right field before getting the second out via a RBI fielder's choice to third base. With two outs and a runner in scoring position, Quense induced a pop up that Van Hoven caught in foul territory to end the threat and the game.
Fordham, with three victories in the first three contests, earned the #1 seed and took on Rutgers immediately afterwards. Aughinbaugh got the start and, after allowing a solo home run in the first inning, worked the next two frames unscathed with just one more hit allowed. Freshman
Stephanie Rundlett made her collegiate debut out of the pen, working a scoreless fourth inning but allowed four runs in the fifth to briefly negate the run-rule that the offense would put into motion in the fourth.
Taylor Stocks worked out of the jam, getting the final two outs in the fifth. Aughinbaugh picked up her fourth win and moved to 4-3 on the year.
Hughes led off the bottom of the first with a solo home run, her sixth of the year, doubling last year's output, to knot the game up at one-apiece. The Rams added three runs in the second on a passed ball and a two-run home run by senior
Ally Vergona, her first of the year. In the third,
Madison Shaw notched her third home run in two days with a three-run shot and both
Maria Trivelpiece and
Amy Van Hoven tallied RBI singles later in the frame. The scoring concluded in the bottom of the fourth with Deanne Burbridge, who had pinch ran for Mayer and stole her first base as a Ram, coming around to score on a throwing error by the catcher after Quense had struck out but the pitch ended up in the dirt.
Entering the bottom of the fifth up, 11-5, Mayer ended the game with a three-run home run with two outs via the run rule.
The Rams' opponent tomorrow is to be determined but they will play at 12:15 p.m. or whenever the third-place game finishes.
