Rock Hill, S.C. – Fordham softball suffered two defeats on Sunday to wrap play at Winthrop's Garnet & Gold Tournament. The Rams fell to LIU, 3-0, and to the hosts in nine innings, 3-2. With the day's results, they fall to 3-10 on the season.
Fordham's offense was stifled by the Sharks' Kira Buckner, who limited the Rams to just one hit, a
Kate McGuire single, and one other true baserunner when
Julia Martine was plunked. Otherwise,
Neleh Nogay reached via fielder's choice and stole a base.
Holly Beeman received the start and held LIU to three runs, two earned, over her six frames, striking out two, but fell to 2-2 on the year.
In game two against Winthrop,
Emilee Watkins started in the circle and got into a pitcher's duel with Sydney Boulware. Neither pitcher relented until the fourth when Winthrop pushed the first run across with a two-out infield single, a high chopper between home and the circle. Fordham struck right back, though, when
Eva Koratsis hit her first career home run, a solo shot to left center.
The Rams got to reliever Reese Basinger in the top of the seventh with a
Bella Ayala RBI groundout, scoring Martine, who had walked to lead off the frame. Winthrop, down to its final out and strike, didn't wilt, however, and tied the game up with a Mackenzie Smith RBI double. With runners on second and third and two outs, Watkins kept her team in the game with a five-pitch strikeout of Kaitlyn Tucker. Utilizing international rules, with a runner placed on second to begin each extra frame, it took until the bottom of the ninth for the first run, a walk-off RBI single by Smith with runners on second and third and two outs.
Watkins notched her first career complete game with personal-bests of 8.2 innings and nine strikeouts, but was unfortunately saddled with her second loss of the season. Koratsis finished 2-for-3 at the dish with a walk to pace the offense, with
Allie Clark and Nogay tallying the other hits.
Fordham has next weekend off before traveling to Coach Inouye's home state for the University of Hawaii's Rainbow Wahine Classic from March 9-11.
