Softball Falls in Extras to Saint Joseph's

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Bronx, N.Y. – The Fordham softball team dropped game one against Saint Joseph's, 2-1 in eight innings, on Saturday afternoon on a cold and blustery day at Bahoshy Field. Hawks number nine hitter Molly Kapala did the damage, with a two-run shot to left center in the top of the eighth inning. With the loss, the Rams fall to 25-8 (3-1 A-10) on the year, while Saint Joseph's improves to 9-16 (3-1 A-10) overall.
 
For seven innings it was a pitcher's duel between Lauren Quense and Ashley Ventura, allowing just three singles between the pair, until Kapala's bomb with one out in the eighth.
 
The Rams threatened right away, putting runners at first and second with one out in the first inning, Sydney Canessa drawing a walk and stealing second base and Madison Shaw walking right after, but Ventura worked out of trouble with two quick outs. Fordham loaded the bases with no outs in the fourth, on a walk, hit by pitch, and an excellent sac bunt attempt by Madison Aughinbaugh that resulted in her beating out the throw for a single. However, Ventura battled back, inducing a fielder's choice by Skylar Johnston, a foul out by Chelsea Skrepenak, and a line out to end the threat by Morgan Figueroa. The Rams wouldn't put a runner beyond first the rest of the way.
 
At one point, Quense set down 17 straight Hawks batters, between two singles by Sarah Ostaszewski leading off the second and with two outs in the seventh. The senior struck out Erica Nugent to begin the eighth inning before Taryn Grober laced a ball over Figueroa's head in left. On the next pitch to Kapala, the shortstop placed one in the tennis courts behind left field for the go-ahead runs. After a groundout by Amanda Kulp, Quense allowed a walk and two singles to load the bases but got Ostaszewski to fly out to limit the damage.
 
Ventura set the Rams down in order to end the game on eight pitches, finishing her day with three hits allowed and five walks to go with five strikeouts in eight shutout innings. Quense had allowed just two hits and a walk through seven innings, with six strikeouts, but finished with six hits allowed and two walks, while matching her season-high of seven strikeouts, and suffering her fourth loss of the year. The senior falls to 14-4 on the year but maintains the 1.74 ERA she had coming into the afternoon.
 
Aughinbaugh had two of her team's three hits on the day, with an opposite-way single in the second to go with her bunt single, Figueroa owning the third knock. Canessa and Shaw each walked twice.
 
Sunday brings games two and three of the three-game series, with game one of the doubleheader beginning at 12 p.m.