Bronx, N.Y. – The Fordham softball team fell, 9-1, in six innings to Saint Joseph's in the regular season finale on Sunday. With the loss, the Rams move to 36-8 overall and 17-3 in Atlantic 10 play and finish in third place in the league standings heading into this week's Atlantic 10 Championship.
With a postseason berth secured, the Rams and Hawks battled over seeding for the Championship and in the North Division. A big six-run fourth inning by the visitors broke the game open and eventually led to the run rule after the sixth.
Freshman
Bailey Enoch, fresh off an impressive five innings in relief on Saturday, made the start and limited Saint Joseph's to just one run in the opening frame before several singles in a row ended her day in the fourth. Sara Ostaszewski led the game off with a double, was sacrificed to third, and scored on Madison Fife's single to right, though
Madie Aughinbaugh threw out the other runner, Molly Kapala, trying to score from second.
Julia Martine got into scoring position in the first with a booming one-out double off the left centerfield wall but she was left stranded.
The Rams struck back in the third through the legs of
Brianna Pinto and a timely hit by Enoch. The senior led off the frame with an infield single, moving to second on a throwing error on the play, then scored on Enoch's single up the middle to knot the game up at one-all. In the fourth, Fife led off with a single and Jessica Gaughan reached on a fielder's choice and, after a groundout, three singles in a row led to two runs and
Makenzie McGrath coming on in relief with the bases loaded. Kirsten Cox and Kapala each singled to bring home three more runs. A walk and a single followed, but McGrath induced two weak pop-outs to escape further damage. The Hawks scored one run in the fifth and sixth on a solo home run and a two-out RBI single, respectively.
Enoch was the lone Ram to reach safely twice, singling and drawing a walk, while three others had one hit and three other Rams walked once, including
Aubree Barney and Kata Vara off the bench. Enoch was saddled with just her second loss of the season.
Devon Miller came on to pitch the sixth and allowed one run on two hits with one strikeout.
The Rams await word from the Atlantic 10 about seeding for this week's Championship and location.
