Durham, N.C. – The Fordham softball team picked up its fifth win of the season and first at this weekend's Duke Invitational with a 12-7 win over Howard. With the win, the Rams improve to 5-13 overall.
The Rams offense scored 12 runs on 16 hits against the Bisons' pitching, scoring between two and four runs in seven frames.
Madie Aughinbaugh blasted a first-pitch three-run home run to begin the contest but the Bisons rallied for four runs in the bottom half of the frame to take a 4-3 lead which they'd hold until the third. A throwing error by the pitcher led to
Julia Martine scoring from second, tying the game, and
Anne Marie Prentiss knocked in
Michaela Carter with a two-out double to right center. Howard evened the contest up in the third with a two-out RBI double, knocking Prentiss out of the game and
Devon Miller coming into the circle. The tie did not last long as Martine singled down the left field line to score
Kelly Bright, which proved to be the game-winning run, and Fordham plated two more in the inning on an Aughinbaugh RBI single and a fielding error.
The Bison scored once apiece in the fifth and sixth innings, the latter to get within one, 8-7, but the Rams responded with a three-run seventh. A
Brielle Cerchio double and three straight singles by Bright,
Brianna Pinto, and Martine, led to the first run before Aughinbaugh pushed across another with an infield single and the final two runs came home on a fielding error at second. Miller was then able to work around an error and a single to close the game out, picking up her third win of the year.
Five different Rams enjoyed multi-hit games, led by Martine who notched a career-high four hits in five at-bats with four runs and two RBIs. Bright reached base all four times she came to bat, singling three times and walking once, scoring twice, while Aughinbaugh drove in a season-high five on three hits. Pinto collected a pair of hits, walked once, and scored thrice, while Cerchio went 2-for-2 with a run scored off the bench.
In the circle, Prentiss made the start and allowed five runs over 2.2 frames. Miller allowed two runs on four hits with four strikeouts over 4.1 innings.
The Rams will finish the weekend with a doubleheader against Lafayette on Sunday, beginning at 9 a.m.
