Box Score 1 |
Box Score 2 Bronx, N.Y. – The Fordham softball team enjoyed its first sweep of the new campaign on Saturday, taking down Sacred Heart in a pair of contests at Bahoshy Field, 6-4 and 6-1, respectively. With the wins, the Rams improve to 5-3 overall.
"It was nice to get the doubleheader sweep today and to get production from a lot of different players." Head coach
Melissa Inouye said, "I thought we ran the bases well and did a good job scoring with two outs. Our pitchers worked well together as they all brought a different and effective look to a scrappy lineup."
Fordham never trailed at any point in either contest. The Rams put two runners in scoring position in the first in game one but were unable to bring them home, however they were able to plate two in the second.
Julia Martine led off with a double and scored three pitches later on a
Michaela Carter single.
Madie Aughinbaugh made it a two-run game with a two-out RBI single to drive home
Brianna Pinto. Carter played hero again in the third with another single through the infield, this time scoring both Martine and
Julia Petrovich. The Pioneers finally got to Aughinbaugh in the fourth with two doubles and two singles but the graduate struck out two swinging to escape further damage. The Rams responded by taking advantage of wild pitching as three players walked and one was hit by a pitch in the inning alone, with a Petrovich walk driving in Aughinbaugh with the bases juiced.
Kelly Bright's groundout capped the team's scoring in the fifth, driving in Pinto who had led off with a first-pitch triple to center.
Aughinbaugh picked up her third win of the year by allowing four runs, three earned, with a season-high seven strikeouts over 5.1 frames.
Devon Miller picked up her first career save with 1.2 clean innings, striking out two.
Miller started game two and picked up her second victory with four one-run innings, striking out five, while
Makenzie McGrath earned her second save with three scoreless innings of relief. The duo combined to allowed just two hits and six overall baserunners in the game.
The Rams struck first in the opening inning and plated what proved to be the game-winning run on a two-out
Bella Ayala bases-loaded walk in what was the freshman's first collegiate at-bat. The batter before,
Amanda Carey singled in Taffet with the bases juiced. Aughinbaugh singled in Pinto who had singled and stole second to put herself in scoring position in the second. Two frames later, the Rams scored two more. Carter drew a walk to begin the inning, stole second, and moved to third on a passed ball, scoring quickly on a Pinto infield single. The latter ended up at third after stealing second and moving over on an error and scored on a deep foulout by Aughinbaugh.
Sarah Taffet smacked her third home run of the season, a solo shot, in the sixth.
Pinto led the way on the day with four hits and four runs scored, plus three stolen bases. Taffet, Hubertus, Carter, and Martine each enjoyed one multi-hit game. The pitchers combined for 14 strikeouts on the day, while the Rams struck out just seven times.
Sunday's originally doubleheader against Bryant has been postponed so Fordham will next host Seton Hall this Wednesday, March 17, at 3 p.m.
