BRONX, N.Y. (Apr. 6, 2024) – The goal of every starting pitcher is to keep their bullpen at bay for as long as possible, and the Fordham University Softball starters did so all afternoon Saturday, with a pair of complete games in the circle to earn a pair of wins over George Washington.
The Maroon and White would open the day with a thrilling win in a back and forth 3-2 game, plating a pair of runs early, before tallying the winning run in the final innings, and holding off multiple rally efforts by George Washington. Game two would see Fordham tack on a run in the bottom of the first, and one more for good measure a short while late to claim a 2-0 win and earn the series win over the Revolutionaries.
Devon Miller picked up her seventh win of the year in the circle to start the day, tossing a full seven innings for the ninth time this season. Holly Beeman earned the game two victory, with a complete game shutout while allowing just three hits, allowing Head Coach Melissa Inouye to stay away from the bullpen for all 14 innings Saturday afternoon.
Sydney Wells would lead the efforts at the dish, scattering three of the Rams' five RBI's across the two games, going 2-for-3 combined and drawing three walks, while Bailey Enoch brought in the other two Fordham runs in the afternoon.
Both sides would see a base runner reach safely in the opening frame, with each runner stealing a base and taking third on a missed pickoff at second, but the pitchers would keep things scoreless through one. George Washington would threaten once again in the second, but it was in the bottom of the third when the Rams' bats began to come alive.
A leadoff double by Gianna Sarlo was followed by a Enoch walk a few at-bats later, putting a pair of runners on for Wells, who tallied her league leading 39th and 40th RBI's of the season with a double off the center field wall to give Fordham a 2-0 lead.
The Revolutionaries would be held off the board through four but the top of the fifth would see the visitors load the bases and score twice on a single and a stolen base to tie the game at two. Fordham would counter right back in the bottom of the frame, as Sarlo led off with a double to shallow right, and would later score on a sac fly to take back the lead through five.
A 1-2-3 top of the sixth would be followed by another rally attempt by George Washington, forcing a play at the plate with two outs, as Neleh Nogay threw out the tying run at the dish to secure a 3-2 win.
Fordham would strike early in game two, as Nogay led off with a single that saw her advance to second on a throwing error. She would come around to score later in the frame off a Wells single, the Fordham catcher's third RBI of the afternoon to put her side ahead in the bottom of the first.
The Rams would double their advantage in the fourth, with Bella Ayala coming around to score on an Enoch single to make it 2-0, and that was all Beeman needed to close things out to earn her eighth win of the year. She would throw a complete game shutout, giving up just three hits as the Rams took game two, claiming their second A-10 series in a row with the first two games of the series.
Fordham and George Washington close the three game series tomorrow afternoon with a single game from Bahoshy Field at 12:00 p.m. on ESPN+.
