On This Date Presented by Belmont Realty
 
With the 2020 spring sports season canceled by the COVID-19 outbreak, we at Fordham have decided to dig back through our archives and provide our fans with content on some of the outstanding teams and student-athletes who have graced Rose Hill over the years
 
May 7, 2012 – Photo Gallery | Box Score - Playing their fifth game in four days, which included a 17-inning game against Massachusetts, fans were unsure what the Fordham Rams had left as the team hosted the #3 Alabama Crimson Tide at Bahoshy Field.  It was the first time Fordham had welcomed a top five team to the Bronx, and the Rams did not miss the opportunity to make history, upsetting the Crimson Tide, 8-5.
 
"I remember we received numerous calls in the office about how to get tickets to that game" said current head coach Melissa Inouye, who was an assistant coach on that team. "There was an unbelievable crowd and atmosphere that game.  The backstop stands were completely full, people were lined up down both baselines, outside the dugouts, and then all throughout the outfield fence area."
 
The game started with Alabama getting out to a 4-0 lead by the second inning, highlighted by an RBI-single by Kaila Hunt in the first to go with a two-run home run by Hunt in the second.
 
Fordham came alive in the third with a four-run spurt to tie the game.  With the bases loaded and one out, Nicole Callahan drove in Katherine VanBenschoten with a fielder's choice, followed by a three-run home run to center by Gabby Luety, her ninth of the season.
 
"I don't think I ever ran so fast around the bases in my life," said Luety remembering the game.

 
"An unbelievable moment – it was a moon shot blast to left center on to the tennis courts and the crowd erupted," said Inouye.
 
Alabama was able to silence the raucous crowd briefly, regaining the lead at 5-4 and knocking out starter Jen Mineau with an injury, as a line drive hit Mineau in the hand.
 
"Jen started that game and kept us in for a bit, but we got a scare as she took a liner off her hand, so we took her out to conserve her for upcoming A-10 Championship.  Taylor Pirone went in, and she was a completely different pitcher than Jen. I think it kept the Alabama offense off balance," said Inouye.
 
Pirone entered in a dangerous situation with one out and the bases loaded.  She was able to find her way out, getting a line out in the infield and a strikeout to hold the Crimson Tide to just the one run in the fourth.
 
Pirone's performance gave the Rams the spark they needed, taking its first lead of the game in the bottom of the fifth.  Following a walk to Brianna Turgeon, Jamie LaBovick, who had hit a number of big home runs in her career, added another one to the list, blasting her fifth home run of the season over the left field wall for a 6-5 Fordham lead.
 
The Rams then flashed the leather in the sixth, keeping Alabama off the scoreboard.  With one on, third baseman Elise Fortier made a diving catch in the hole and doubled off the runner at first for a double play.  She then tracked a ball into foul territory and made an outstretched catch against fence to end the frame.
 
Fordham tacked on to the lead in the bottom of the inning, when Turgeon lifted a two-run home run to left, her ninth of the year, making it, 8-5.
 
It was then up to Pirone to get the final three outs.  The seventh inning started with back-to-back strikeouts, which included All-American and eventual Most Outstanding Player of the 2012 Women's College World Series, Jackie Traina.  An error and an infield single gave Alabama a chance with the tying run at the plate, however Kayla Braud lifted a ball to left that Lindsey Kay Bright made a running catch at the foul line to end the game.
 
"It was also pretty cool to beat them and then they went on to win the college World Series that year," said Luety.
 
Pirone recorded her fourth win in the circle, allowing just two hits with three strikeouts over 2.2 innings of relief.  At the plate, LaBovick was 2-for-3 with a home run, two runs scored and two RBI with Luety having a home and three RBI.