Fordham Softball returned to Bahoshy Field for the first time in over two weeks, taking on the University of Massachusetts (UMass) in a three-game series last weekend. But first, the Rams concluded a 10-game road trip with a doubleheader last Wednesday against St. Joseph’s University in Philadelphia.

Heading into the St. Joseph’s games, Fordham had lost six in a row and were in need of a spark. They got exactly that from junior Bailey Enoch both in the circle and at the plate. In the circle, Enoch tossed a complete game, allowing two runs on five hits while adding five strikeouts.

While she’s been great pitching wise, Enoch has struggled at the plate this season. The New Jersey native is batting well under .200 after being one of Fordham’s top offensive performers last year. But, she put these offensive struggles aside on Wednesday. With the score tied at two in the top of the seventh, Enoch helped her own cause with an RBI double that scored senior Michaela Carter. That put Fordham up to stay, as the Rams snapped their six-game slide with a 3-2 win in game one over St. Joseph’s.

Game two didn’t go quite as well for the Rams. Senior Devon Miller wasn’t herself in the circle, surrendering six earned runs in the first two innings and eight total by the end of the game. Fordham got five runs of offense thanks in large part from a three-run homer from sophomore Sydney Wells and a solo homer from senior Amanda Carey. But it wasn’t enough as Fordham fell 8-5 to split the doubleheader in Philadelphia.

A return to Bahoshy Field last weekend was very much needed for a Fordham team that went 2-8 on their long road trip. With their Atlantic 10 schedule winding down, the Rams needed to make a statement against a UMass team that has struggled in conference play, particularly in the circle. Fordham entered the series at 5-9 in A-10 play and in serious danger of slipping out of the conference tournament, which Bahoshy Field is set to host in May.

But Fordham answered the bell in a big way against UMass. They swept the Minutewomen in dominant fashion, allowing just two runs across the three game series while outscoring them 16-2.

Stellar pitching was the name of the game all weekend for Fordham. It was Enoch up first for Fordham in game one, and she did not disappoint. She followed up her stellar outing against St. Joseph’s with a complete game shutout against the Minutewomen.

Offensively, Fordham got all their scoring done in the first and second innings. In the first, the Rams pounced on UMass’ Natalie Horton, tallying three runs through RBI doubles from Wells and graduate student Julia Martine and an RBI single from freshman Eva Koratsis.

Freshman Neleh Nogay chipped in an RBI single in the second to make it 4-0 Fordham, a score that stood up as the Rams walked away with a convincing win in game one. Nogay has been an offensive spark plug for Fordham all year long, leading the team in batting average at .381.
In game two, Fordham received another stellar effort from the circle. This time, it was freshman Holly Beeman who was terrific. Like Enoch, she tossed a complete game shutout as the UMass offense was completely neutralized. The Rams also struggled to score against a three-pronged UMass pitching attack, but they got the only two runs they needed early off a pair of sacrifice flies from Martine and Wells.

With two wins under their belt, Fordham went for the sweep of UMass on Sunday afternoon. First pitch was delayed for about 45 minutes in order to get Bahoshy Field ready for play, as thunderstorms from the previous evening caused some damage to both the infield and the outfield. But after the delay, Miller took to the circle looking to bounce back from her disappointing performance against St. Joseph’s.

She wasn’t perfect, but Miller danced around trouble all day to limit UMass to just two runs. The Minutewomen tallied eight hits against the senior, but she picked up strikeouts in key situations to work out of jams.

Fordham’s offense, which has struggled for large stretches this season, put on a show Sunday afternoon. They scored 10 runs in six innings, forcing a mercy rule and walking away with a 10-2 win and a three-game sweep of UMass. Fordham got a two-run homer from Carey to center field and an opposite field grand slam from Wells, both in the second inning.

In the sixth, the Rams sealed the eight-run mercy rule with a two-run single from Enoch that sent Bahoshy Field into a frenzy. This was Fordham’s first A-10 sweep of the season, and it came at the absolute perfect time.

With just two A-10 series remaining for the Rams, they now sit at 17-24 overall and 8-9 in conference play.

That’s good enough for fifth place in the A-10, where the top six teams qualify for the conference tournament. After winning the tournament last year and being this year’s host, the Rams will want to ensure their place in the competition by finishing the season strong. They have one final non-conference game on Wednesday against Stony Brook University before hosting Loyola University Chicago next weekend and wrapping up the regular season the following weekend on the road at George Washington University.