By Anthony Pucik
The reigning Atlantic 10 champion Fordham softball team began its 2015 campaign in Tempe, Arizona, this past weekend at the Kajikawa Classic.
The Rams’ first game of the season on Friday, Feb. 6, was against the University of Nevada Wolf Pack.
The two teams were scoreless until the bottom of the second, when Fordham broke through for three runs on an RBI single by sophomore Lindsay Mayer and a two-RBI single by freshman designated hitter Madison Shaw off Nevada’s freshman starter Chase Redington to make it 3-0 Fordham.
The Wolf Pack picked up a run in the top of the fourth off Ram senior ace Michele Daubman, but sophomore center fielder Sydney Canessa’s RBI single answered in the bottom of the inning to make it 4-1 Rams.
Fordham held that lead despite Daubman getting into some trouble in the fifth and sixth, but it all unraveled in the seventh inning. Back-to-back walks and catcher’s interference loaded the bases and led to a three-run double by Nevada senior second baseman Karley Hopkins to tie the score at four. The Wolf Pack scored two more runs on a fielder’s choice and sacrifice fly, and Fordham fell 6-4.
Daubman suffered her first loss of the season after giving up five runs, four earned, in six plus innings pitched, while Redington earned the victory for Nevada.
The Rams followed that game with a game against the Fresno State University Bulldogs where they struggled to find their offense. Bulldog junior catcher Paige Gumz had an RBI single off Fordham’s senior starter Rachel Gillen in the bottom of the first, and that was all they would need. Fresno State added another run in the third, five in the fifth and one in the sixth to defeat Fordham 8-0. Gillen suffered her first loss of the season, pitching 4.2 innings and giving up five runs, only two earned, and six hits while striking out five. Fresno State’s junior starter Jill Compton pitched four innings of one-hit ball to earn the victory.
The Rams next game was on Saturday, Feb. 7, against the University of the Pacific Tigers. Daubman struggled for Fordham in the first inning, allowing three runs on four hits and only lasting one third of an inning before being relieved by Gillen.
After that, the Rams took over. An RBI single by Mayer in the bottom of the inning made it 3-1 Pacific, and another in the bottom of the third made it 3-2. In the bottom of the fifth, Rams’ senior third baseman Kayla Lombardo hit a two-RBI single off Pacific starter Dani Bonnet that put Fordham up 4-3.
Gillen was able to shut the door for the rest of the game, going 6.2 scoreless innings and surrendering only three hits and two walks, while striking out eight and giving Fordham its first win of the season. Gillen went to 1-1 on the season, and the Tigers’ Bonnet fell to 1-2.
The Rams’ second game of the night was against the California University Golden Bears, where Fordham once again struggled offensively. California picked up a run in the bottom of the first and second inning off sophomore Lauren Quense, and that is all it needed. The team added another run off Quense in the fourth and three more off Fordham junior pitcher Patti Maloney to take a 6-0 advantage. Fordham was only able to muster up four hits and also committed four errors, falling to 1-3 on the season after being shutout 6-0.
Quense suffered her first loss of the season for the Rams, giving up three runs, two earned, on six hits while striking out one over four innings, while sophomore Stephanie Trzcinski struck out two and walked three in seven innings for the Golden Bears.
The Rams finished up their trip in Arizona on Sunday, Feb. 8, against the Portland State Vikings. The game was a pitcher’s duel between Gillen and Portland State’s junior starter Kristen Crawford. Crawford was relieved after four innings of two hit ball for sophomore Meagan Hendrix.
Hendrix pitched another scoreless inning before Fordham finally broke through in the top of the sixth. A two-run homerun by Daubman put the Rams up 2-0. They tacked on another six runs in the top of the sixth on a two-RBI single by sophomore second baseman Amy Van Hoven, an RBI single by Mayer and a three-run homerun by senior outfielder Brianna Turgeon, taking their final game of the weekend 8-0. Gillen picked up her second win of the season, going seven shutout innings on five hits, one walk and seven strikeouts. Hendrix suffered the loss for Portland State, her first of the season.
Fordham will spend next weekend down in Tampa, Florida, at the USF Presidents Day Weekend Tournament. Its first game is on Friday, Feb. 13, against St. John’s at 9 a.m.
