New Rochelle, N.Y. – The Fordham softball team has its second winning stretch of five or more runs this season with a 6-1 road nonconference victory at Iona on Tuesday afternoon. With the win, the Rams improve to 20-17 overall on the year, while the Gaels fall to 13-15.
Fordham led the entire way, starting with a
Skylar Johnston solo home run, her ninth of the season to tie
Paige Rauch for the team lead, and finishing with a
Jordy Storm RBI single in the seventh. In the circle, graduate pitcher
Lauren Quense made her 12
th start of the year and picked up her second victory, limiting the Gaels to just one unearned run over her seven frames.
Johonston's solo shot got the scoring started with two outs in the first, a no-doubt blast to dead center, and the Rams added a second in the third via a
Deanna Burbridge sacrifice fly. Quense allowed her first baserunner in the third, a leadoff single, but easily worked around it. Fordham then added three runs in a lengthy fourth frame.
Kylie Michael roped a one-out double to left,
Molly Roark, starting at first base, walked, and, after
Madie Aughinbaugh hit into a fielder's choice and stole second, Rauch walked, as well.
Chelsea Skrepenak continued her hot hitting by pushing a single to right field, scoring two, then stole second base. The visitors' final run of the inning came on a passed ball as Rauch crossed home.
Quense ran into some trouble in the bottom half of the inning but worked out of it unscathed. A fielding error and a single led off the frame but a 5-3 double play led to just one runner on second. Ciarra DiGuilio walked but Quense induced a line out to Johnston at third by Tori Danner. The Gaels did get on the board in the next inning, though, on an error by Johnston at third with two outs and the bases loaded but Quense got Kimmie Chiapparelli to pop out to
Rachel Hubertus at short to end the jam. Iona put two more on in the sixth with one out but Quense struck out consecutive batters to escape the jam.
The day's offense was capped in the top of the seventh when Storm dropped a single in to left field to score Skrepenak, who led off the frame with a single to left and stole her third base of the contest, tying a single-game program record.
Quense went the distance and allowed just one unearned run on five hits and four walks while striking out six. Michael led the way by reaching three times in four plate appearances, going 2-for-3 with a double, a walk, and a run scored. On top of stealing a career-best three bases, Skrepenak also singled twice in four at bats, drove in two, and scored once. Aughinbaugh and Storm each singled once with the former scoring twice.
The Rams are back in Atlantic 10 action this weekend for a three-game series at Rhode Island. Both Saturday's doubleheader and Sunday's series finale are set to begin at noon.
