Bronx, N.Y. – Fordham softball saw its 2023 campaign come to an end on Wednesday at Bahoshy Field, falling to #4 George Mason, 1-0, and #6 Rhode Island, 9-6. The Rams finish their season with a 20-28 overall record, 11-10 in league play.
Newly minted Atlantic 10 Pitcher of the Year Aly Rayle was brilliant in the opening contest of this year's A-10 Championship, limiting Fordham to just four hits, while striking out 18. Opposite her was All-Rookie selection
Holly Beeman, who was herself stellar, allowing just two hits throughout her 12
th complete game. However, one of the hits was a solo home run off the bat of Maddy Myers, which proved to be the difference in the contest, unfortunately giving Beeman her ninth loss of the year.
The quarter of
Michaela Carter,
Neleh Nogay,
Sydney Wells, and
Julia Martine all notched one single apiece against Rayle, with Nogay also stealing a base. Beeman did not walk anyone and struck out three over her six frames.
The loss moved Fordham into the elimination portion of the bracket and a date with sixth-seeded Rhody in the late afternoon.
Bailey Enoch starred at the dish, powering the Rams with two missiles out of the park and five RBIs, matching her career-high for a third time. However, the Rams defense committed a season-high eight errors, leading to three unearned runs. Enoch got things started immediately with a two-run jack in the opening frame, scoring Nogay, who had singled to short. The visiting Rams responded with a runner in scoring position in the second but starter
Devon Miller struck out Cassie Swenson swinging to end the threat.
A lead-off Hannah Hernandez triple in the third led to Rhode Island's first run and a bases-loaded hit-by-pitch evened the scoring up. At the end of a nine-pitch at-bat with Emily Power, Miller surrendered a grand slam to make it a four-run contest as the senior gave way to Beeman two batters later. Once again, Enoch wasted no time in putting her team back in contention for the win, powering a three-run blast to right center, scoring
Kate McGuire and Carter, to quickly cut the deficit to one run. However, several errors followed behind Beeman and Rhody padded its lead to nine. Fordham got one back with a two-out RBI single by Carter to score
Mallory McClellan, pinch-running for
Eva Koratsis, but that was all the offense they'd conjure up against Katie Zaun, who tossed four scoreless frames in relief of Liz Lynchard.
Nogay and McGuire each tallied a pair of hits in addition to Enoch. Miller suffered her ninth loss, as well, while all three runs against Beeman were unearned over her 4.1 frames as she limiting the (other) Rams to just one hit with two strikeouts.
The freshman duo of Nogay and Beeman, named to the All-Rookie squad earlier in the day, finished spectacular inaugural campaigns in maroon and white. Nogay fell just shy of becoming the fifth Rams to hit over .400, finishing at .397 for the year, while Beeman's 1.47 ERA was sixth-lowest all-time in a single season.
Graduate students
Julia Martine and
Sarah Taffet competed in their 207
th (198) and 208
th (205) career contests against Rhode Island, including their 198 and 205 starts, respectively, two of just a handful of Rams in program history to reach the 200-game plateau. Senior
Amanda Carey's two games today brought her to 127 total appearances and 112 starts. Martine also finishes her five-year career with 35 steals, 10
th-most all-time. Taffet's nine triples, meanwhile, are tied for sixth-most.
