Bronx, N.Y. – The Fordham softball team split a doubleheader against crosstown rivals, St. John's, on Wednesday. The Rams run-ruled the Red Storm, 13-3, in five innings in game one, and saw a rally fall just short, 4-3, in game two. With the results, Fordham moves to 3-3 on the year, while the Johnnies move to 3-2.
The ball was flying out of Bahoshy Field in game one as the Rams ripped five home runs in five frames, falling just one shy of the program record.
Madie Aughinbaugh and
Sarah Taffet began the game by going back-to-back with solo shots, the first and second of their seasons, respectively, and freshman
Julia Petrovich's first career round-tripper proved to be the difference in the contest. The hosts scored in every inning before the Red Storm scored three in the fifth.
Rachel Hubertus knocked in the Rams' third run with an infield single in the second with the bases loaded, though it was the lone run scored in the frame. In the third, the redshirt junior drove in another on a fielder's choice before blasting a three-run home run to right center to make it a double-digit lead in the fourth. In between,
Kelly Bright's RBI single up the middle made it a 5-0 game,
Bailey Enoch's RBI single made it 7-0, and a bases-juiced walk by Petrovich made it an eight-run game. Following Hubertus' home run, Enoch walked and
Julia Martine smacked her first home run of the season to cap the scoring.
Aughinbaugh picked up win number two on the year with four scoreless frames, striking out two and allowing four baserunners. A double and a two-run home run in the fifth against
Makenzie McGrath was all the damage by the visitors in game one.
St. John's Peyton Cody began game two with a two-run home run in the first, scoring Marissa Rizzi, who had hit the aforementioned home run in game one. Sophomore
Devon Miller limited the damage against herself to just the two runs, but worked around further trouble over her 3.1 frames, allowing eight baserunners but striking out three before giving way to
Anne Marie Prentiss, who also tallied three strikeouts and allowed two runs over her 3.2 innings of relief.
The Fordham offense was kept at bay for most of the contest by Kayla Kmett until the Rams broke through in the fifth. With two outs, Taffet drove in
Brianna Pinto after the senior had singled and moved to third on an error. Fordham loaded the bases in the seventh with one out and plated two when a fielder's choice turned into a throwing error, putting runners on the corners. St. John's went to the pen to Angela Saric, who struck out Enoch and Martine to preserve the win for the visitors.
Hubertus, with six RBIs, Taffet, with three hits and two walks, and Petrovich, who reached base five times, led the way on offense. The Rams posted season-highs of 13 runs, 12 hits, and nine walks in game one, plus the five home runs.
Fordham returns to action with a pair of doubleheaders on Saturday and Sunday, hosting Sacred Heart and Bryant, respectively. Saturday's will begin at noon and Sunday's at 1:30 p.m.
Gallery: (3-10-2021) Softball vs. St. John's (DH)
