It’s an old adage that pitching wins championships. It turns out it also helps you win regular season games, as excellent pitching was on display all weekend long in an exciting Atlantic 10 clash between Fordham University and the University of Dayton.
Another weekend brought another clash against one of the A-10’s best. Both teams entered play tied for third place in the standings with identical 8-4 conference records. The storylines wrote themselves: a high-powered Fordham offense juxtaposed by a Dayton pitching staff that ranked second in the A-10 with a 3.07 ERA.
The Rams entered confidently, winning their last two series and riding a six-game heater after an 8-1 win against the U.S. Military Academy West Point. Home runs from sophomore Eva Koratsis and junior Sydney Wells, the latter of which belted her A-10 leading 10th of the season, coupled with a three RBI day from sophomore Neleh Nogay, continued a stretch of high-level production, averaging 6.2 runs per contest over the winning streak.
Fordham didn’t skip a beat in Game 1 of a Saturday doubleheader, tallying five runs off Dayton’s #3 starter Haven Dwyer. Four came on one swing as senior Bailey Enoch broke the game open in the bottom of the second with a grand slam, her sixth homer of the season. The Rams pushed two more across in the fifth on an error from catcher Nicolette Papavasiliou and a wild pitch from Sami Scholtz.
Not that they needed the extra run support, graduate student ace Devon Miller shined in the circle, tossing her third complete game shutout of the season as she held the Flyers to three hits with six strikeouts to boot.
The 6-0 win extended Fordham’s winning streak to a season-high seven games. Unfortunately, they wouldn’t have much time to enjoy it as the shoe was on the other foot in the back half of the doubleheader.
Facing the dynamic pitching combo of Sarah Bailitz and reigning A-10 Rookie of the Year Izzy Kemp, the Rams were held scoreless in game 2. Bailitz pitched the first 3.1 innings, but Kemp stole the show, entering in the fourth and closing out the last 11 outs in dominant fashion. Entering with a 2-0 lead, Kemp struck out six and allowed just one base runner in 3.2 innings of work.
Sophomore Holly Beeman pitched well in her own right, going the full seven innings with her only blip being a two-run top of the fourth. She kept the game in striking distance, but the Rams were held to just three hits against the top two pitchers in Dayton’s rotation.
Sunday brought forth a rubber match, with the winner taking sole possession of third place in the A-10. The combination of Kemp and Bailitz stymied Fordham’s bats for the second game in a row as Dayton took the final game 5-0 to hand the Rams their first series loss since March 22.
Kemp got the start and dazzled with a scoreless first inning, but head coach Cara Clark turned the ball over to Bailitz after the Flyers took a 1-0 lead in the top of the second on a Papavasiliou RBI single. Bailitz was on cruise control for the final six innings, holding the Rams scoreless on five hits to shut them out for a second game in a row.
Miller got the nod for Fordham but couldn’t exert her dominance this time. Dayton’s leading hitter, Maddie Kapsimalis, caught up to a fastball and belted a two-run home run to extend the lead to three. Kirnan Bailey tacked on another in a rainy fourth inning with an RBI triple, ending Miller’s outing. Beeman came on in relief and hunkered down for the final 3.1 innings, allowing just one run on an infield miscue.
It’s not every day you get a series with a shutout in every game, but it’s not the most surprising thing when you consider the two pitching staffs at work. The tandem of Kemp (2.07 ERA) and Bailitz (2.40 ERA) is easily among the top 1-2 punches in the conference and should give opponents headaches when the A-10 Championship rolls around in May — the pair combined for 16.0 scoreless frames, striking out 14 Rams in the process.
Miller’s start on Sunday spoiled the weekend’s final pitching line, but she and Beeman continue to impress. Miller will get her flowers for the complete game shutout in the Rams’ lone win, but Beeman’s valiant effort in two losing games should not go unnoticed, allowing just three earned runs in a combined 10.1 innings pitched. Dayton and Saint Louis University are the first two programs that come to mind when talking about elite pitching duos in the A-10 this season, but Fordham sneakily boasts one of the most deadly as well.
It was a frustrating finish for a Fordham offense that went uncharacteristically silent. The Rams struck the ball well on Sunday, but the Flyers made highlight defensive plays in seemingly every inning. Nonetheless, there wasn’t much to write home about offensively outside of the Enoch grand slam.
Things won’t get any easier this upcoming week. If back-to-back battles with George Washington University and Dayton weren’t enough, the A-10 leading Saint Joseph’s University Hawks come to town for a Wednesday doubleheader, boasting a 12-3 record in conference. The Rams will have more of a respite next weekend, visiting 2-26 St. Bonaventure University for a three-game set.
With a 9-6 conference record, Fordham still sits fourth in the A-10, but with plenty of road left and a tight conference, they’ll have to get back to their winning ways if they wish to stay towards the top.
