Philadelphia, Pa. – The Fordham softball team completed a four-game weekend sweep at La Salle on Saturday with two victories, 3-0 and 3-1. The Rams improve to 29-5 overall and 12-0 in conference play so far this season.
"Well-earned gritty sweep. We hit a lot of balls hard but right at people but we also had some timely hits, too." Head coach
Melissa Inouye said, "It was nice to see us swing for power by multiple hitters, especially Rachel. Our pitchers competed hard all weekend and held their hitters in check. Playing a team eight times can be grueling but we found a way to grind It out in the end. The stats don't show how well we played as it was a lot of 'at-ems' at times throughout the weekend. We're looking forward to some rest and recovery to recharge for our next games."
Behind two more standout pitching performances, the Rams chipped away in game one while one swing of
Rachel Hubertus' bat in game two produced the results. Sophomore
Devon Miller earned her 10
th win of the year with her fourth shutout, striking out 10 Explorers, in the third game of the weekend, while freshman
Bailey Enoch picked up her first collegiate victory with just one unanswered run over seven frames, also her first complete game.
The offense broke through in the third inning of game one through the speed of
Brianna Pinto and
Julia Martine's bat. Pinto beat out an infield throw, ruled an error, as she scampered to second on the errant throw, then moved to third on a wild pitch and walked home on Martine's single to left. The next inning, Pinto delivered with the bat, singling in
Anne Marie Prentiss with two outs, but Miller was thrown out at the plate to end the frame. The scoring was capped in the sixth with Enoch's fifth home run of the year, a booming solo shot to left center.
La Salle scored its first run of the weekend in the opening frame of the series finale with Madison Little, who had led off with a double, scoring on an error by
Sarah Taffet. The lead didn't last long, though, as Fordham retook the lead for good three batters into the third. Enoch was hit by a pitch and Martine ripped a single to left before Hubertus powered a full count offering to deep right center, her fourth dinger of the year and 10
th of the season. Enoch and Sarah Dowalo kept the other offenses at bay the rest of the way.
Enoch, Martine, and Pinto each led the way with two hits on the day, while Enoch reached safely three times, all in game one, as did Prentiss with a single and a pair of walks. Pinto stole her 24
th stolen base of the year, now in a tie for fourth in a single campaign in school history.
Katelyn Vara picked up her first career hit, too, with a hard single to left.
The Rams return to the Bronx for all but one contest over the remainder of the regular season. Next up is Fairleigh Dickinson this Wednesday, April 28, with a doubleheader beginning at 1 p.m.
