Honolulu, Hawaii – Fordham softball kicked off its stay in the home state of head coach
Melissa Inouye with a 7-2 win over Niagara on Thursday afternoon, improving to 4-10 on the season.
The Purple Eagles got on the board first, with a leadoff double and a two-out single to left in the opening frame, but the Rams responded right way with a no-doubt grand slam off the bat of freshman
Eva Koratsis. Two more runs crossed for the 'hosts' in the third on a two-out error in shallow left that allowed
Neleh Nogay and Koratsis to score. Niagara loaded the bases against Miller in the fourth but the senior escaped the jam with one run allowed;
Sarah Taffet handled a hard-hit grounder and got the force out at second, tossing to
Kate McGuire, who fired home to get the final out with the lead runner trying to score.
Miller doubled to lead off the sixth and was pinch run for by
Mallory McClellan, who advanced to third on a
Sydney Wells single and scored the game's final run on a groundout. Miller came back to the circle and worked around a hit-by-pitch and an error to get the final two outs, including a game-ending strikeout. The senior earned her first win of the season with three strikeouts. The victory was her 29
th, breaking a tie with Nicole Ayers for solo ninth all-time.
Koratsis also walked and scored a second run in addition to her second round-tripper of the year. Nogay also scored twice and stole a base, while six different Rams tallied a hit.
Fordham takes on Iowa State at 6 p.m. ET tomorrow and then Hawaii at 11 p.m.
