Highlights
Bronx, N.Y. – The Fordham softball team's win streak grew to 11 games with Wednesday's 5-3 win over Providence at Bahoshy Field. The Rams never trailed in the contest after a four-run first inning. With the win, Fordham improves to 23-20 on the year, while the Friars fall to 25-19.
"We came out aggressive and had good back-to-back at-bats early in the first and with Kylie's two-run home run to give us the lead," Head coach
Melissa Inouye, "Defensively, we need to get better and not give the other team extra outs to play with. Getting the fifth run in the sixth was important to give us enough of a lead to close this one out."
After a 1-2-3 inning from
Makenzie McGrath, the Rams took the lead for good with four runs on five hits.
Jordy Storm kicks things off with a one-out single to left, followed by
Molly Roark's single to the same spot.
Madie Aughinbaugh singled up the middle to score Storm and Makensie Compton's throw from center was off line to Molly McGarry behind the plate, which allowed the two runners to advance a base. Roark scored on
Maria Trivelpiece's groundout and
Kylie Michael blasted her fourth home run of the season to cap the scoring.
Providence answered with one unearned run in odd fashion – Jessica Tomaso walked and Compton reached on an error. Tomaso was called for interference on Taylor Stephen's grounder to
Sarah Taffet at short. McGarry flew out to
Chelsea Skrepenak in center but as the senior tried to throw Compton out advancing to third, the ball got past
Julia Martine at third, allowing Compton to score. The visitors threatened again in the top of the third with Emma Lee's single to left serving as the team's first off McGrath to that point. Lee was sacrificed over to second but was gunned down at home by
Deanna Burbridge for the final out after Vanessa Portillo's single through the left side. Providence was able to get to McGrath for a second unearned run in the fourth, however, on a two-out RBI single from McGarry to score Compton, who had reached on a fielder's choice. McGrath bounced back to strike out Annie Flego to end the frame.
Fordham added a fifth insurance run in the fifth on another Trivelpiece groundout, scoring
Anne Marie Prentiss, who was running for Storm, who had led off with a single. Compton was able to answer that in the top of the sixth with a solo shot off Aughinbaugh but the senior held the Friars scoreless the rest of the way for her second save of the year.
McGrath picked up her eighth win of the year in her third start, firing four innings with just two unearned runs on three hits and a walk, plus two strikeouts. Aughinbaugh allowed the one run on two hits and no walks with two strikeouts, as well, over three innings.
Six Rams notched at least one run apiece, with Michael and Storm leading the way with two apiece. All five runs were scored by different players.
Fordham will wrap up the road portion of its regular season this weekend at Massachusetts for a critical three-game series between the top two teams in the Atlantic 10 standings. Saturday's doubleheader will kick off at 11 a.m. and Sunday's series finale will start at noon.
