Decatur, Ga. – The Fordham softball team snapped a six-game losing streak by splitting Saturday's doubleheader at Georgia State on day two of the I-75 Challenge. Both the Rams and Panthers each won one game, 5-4, with a seventh-inning rally. With the day's results, the Rams move to 6-12 on the season, while the Panthers move to 2-16.
Held scoreless for the first six frames by Savannah Freeman, the Rams came alive in the seventh.
Gianna Ranieri drew a leadoff walk to knock Freeman out of the game, replaced by Emily Soles.
Molly Roark singled and was replaced at first by
Gigi Speer. Ranieri and Speer moved over on a
Kylie Michael grounder and Soles moved a step closer to escaping the jam by inducing a grounder out of
Deanna Burbridge.
Maria Trivelpiece got her team on the board, however, with a two-run single to left, and
Jordy Storm followed with a single to left center. Soles was replaced in the circle by Mandy Chance to face
Chelsea Skrepenak and the senior powered a three-run bomb to left to push the Rams ahead.
Madie Aughinbaugh worked a clean seventh frame for the complete game victory, her third of the year.
The top three in the order – Trivelpiece, Storm, and Skrepenak, all notched a pair of hits and one run, with the latter drawing a walk, as well. Aughinbaugh allowed four runs but just one was earned, on three hits and five walks, with a season-high eight strikeouts.
Game two turned out to be the exact opposite of game one. Fordham led early but fell to a late rally in the seventh.
Rachel Hubertus got the scoring started with her fourth home run of the spring, a solo shot, in the second inning before Trivelpiece produced her second two-run single of the day in the fourth, scoring
Anne Marie Prentiss and Roark. The Panthers got one run back on a solo home run in the bottom-half of the frame but Trivelpiece gifted back the three-run advantage with a RBI single in the sixth. Caitlin Ray got to
Makenzie McGrath in relief in the sixth with a two-run shot to get within one although the freshman was able to escape further damage. Aughinbaugh came on in relief in the seventh looking to pick up her second save of the year but the Panthers walked off with a pair of one-out RBI singles. After a leadoff walk, a Roark error led to a two-on, no-out situation. Aughinbaugh was able to get Sexton down on strikes but Hasty and Ray, each with the two home runs earlier in the game, went back-to-back with singles to secure the win.
Trivelpiece went 3-for-4 at the dish with three RBI to finish the day 5-for-8 with five RBI. Hubertus notched a pair of hits, while five others tallied at least one in the game. Skrepenak doubled and walked, reaching base a total of five times in eight plate appearances.
Prentiss made the start and allowed just one run on three hits and a walk, with three strikeouts, over four frames. McGrath went two innings and gave up two runs on three hits with no walks and a strikeout. Aughinbaugh suffered the loss, moving to 3-8 on the year.
The Rams wrap up the I-75 Challenge tomorrow with one game at Kennesaw State. First pitch is set for noon.
