Tampa, Fla. – The Fordham softball team picked up its first win of the 2018 campaign on Saturday morning against Drake, 5-4, in nine innings, but fell to the hosts, South Florida, again this time, 9-0, in five innings. With the day's results, the Rams fall to 1-8 on the year. They will wrap up the USF Tournament tomorrow at 8:45 a.m. with Drake.
Paige Rauch got her first career start in game one and went all nine innings also provided the game's first run, launching a solo home run in the fourth inning.
Skylar Johnston doubled in Rauch, who reached on an error, in the sixth and later in the frame
Kelly Bright drove in
Brianna Pinto with a single.
Drake plated one run due to a pair of errors in the sixth and tied the game up with two two-out runs in the bottom of the seventh. The Bulldogs started the frame off with a triple before Rauch got two outs via groundout and strikeout. An error by
Jordy Storm at second followed by a throwing error by
Molly Roark led to the first run scoring and another triple plated the second. Rauch got out of the jam with an infield pop-up.
The USF Tournament abides by international rules and a runner is placed on second base to start every extra inning. Pinto started at second for the Rams and scored on a Storm groundout after moving over to third on a
Madie Aughinbaugh groundout. Drake's runner scored on a steal attempt with one out when
Rachel Hubertus committed an error on the throw but Rauch was able to keep them to just the one run and advance to the ninth.
Chelsea Skrepenak went to second this time and scored immediately on an error by the third baseman as Johnston reached second. The Rams couldn't drive her in, however, as the next three batters went down in order.
Rauch was able to work around runners on the corners with one out to secure her and Fordham's first victory on the year.
South Florida's Georgina Corrick limited the Rams offense to just one hit and a pair of walks in her five frames.
Deanna Burbridge tallied the hit, while Hubertus and Rauch had the walks.
Lauren Quense started in the circle and allowed six runs, two earned, on eight hits over two frames before giving way to
Gianna Ranieri to start the third. The freshman allowed three runs on three hits and two walks while recording an out and was replaced by
Anne Marie Prentiss who allowed a pair of hits over her 1.2 frames.
The Rams play Drake tomorrow morning at 8:45 a.m. to wrap up the USF Tournament.
