WASHINGTON – Rallying for a trio of runs in the fourth inning Friday afternoon, No. 3 seed Fordham University Softball defeated No. 1 Dayton, 3-0, to advance to the 2025 Atlantic 10 Championship Game.
Tossing her fourth shutout of the season and ninth of her career, Holly Beeman fanned a trio of Flyers en route to her 14th win of the season, while Sophie Nesturrick led the way at the plate, driving in two of the Rams' three runs in the afternoon.
A pitchers' duel through the first three frames, the two lineups combined for just one hit apiece to that point, before the Rams rallied in the fourth. A pair of walks to Sydney Wells and Kate McGuire placed runners on first and second, ahead of an Erin Hoppe single to center to give Fordham the lead as Wells scored from second.
Mallory McClellan would be hit by a pitch to load the bases on the next at-bat, before Nesturrick drove a two run single to centerfield to give her side a 3-0 lead. Dayton would see just three batters reach base safely the rest of the way, as Beeman defended the lead to send the Rams to the league title game tomorrow afternoon.
Fordham will take on the winner of Friday's final two games of the semifinals in the 2025 Atlantic 10 Championship Game, Saturday afternoon at 12:00 p.m. on ESPN+. The Rams seek their first championship since the 2022 campaign and 10th A-10 title in program history.
