By ANTHONY PUCIK
ASSISTANT SPORTS EDITOR
The Rams will travel to South Carolina this coming weekend to participate in the College of Charleston Classic. (MICHAEL REZIN/THE RAM)
The Fordham softball team has won the Atlantic 10 Championship twice in the past three years, including last year, and is predicted to repeat its success again this season. The Rams kicked off the 2014 campaign this past weekend in Orlando, Fla. at the University of Central Florida Knights Invitational, and looked as if they are planning on making those predictions of repeating a reality.
The Rams’ first game was on Friday morning, Feb. 7, against the LIU Brooklyn Blackbirds. The women did not wait long to get their first runs of the new campaign. Just four batters into the young season, 2013 Second Team All-Conference catcher Gabby Luety hit a two run home run over the wall in left center field off LIU starter Cassie Vondrak to give the Rams the early 2-0 lead. Two batters later, first baseman Paige Ortiz added one more run on an RBI double before the end of the first to give Fordham the 3-0 advantage. That was all 2013 First Team All-Atlantic 10 starter Michele Daubman needed. The Ram ace pitched a seven-inning complete-game, four-hit shutout while striking out seven. She also knocked in an RBI herself, as Fordham went on to defeat the Blackbirds in its first game of the season, 5-0.
Fordham’s next game was against the Chattanooga Lady Mocs, and the result was even better than the first game. The Rams struck early in the bottom of the first, as they loaded the bases with only one out. After pulling Chattanooga starter Katie Henderson, reliever Taylor Deason did not fare much better; the Fordham batters’ patience allowed three runs to be scored on walks. A sacrifice fly by Brianna Turgeon put the Rams up 4-0 in just the first inning. The Lady Mocs came back, scoring three runs in the second and third off Fordham starter Rachel Gillen to cut Fordham’s lead to one. However, that would be short lived, as the women exploded in the bottom of the third for eight runs, with the big blow an error by Deason that allowed third baseman Kayla Lombardo to reach base and two runs to score. Daubman showed her versatility in this game, playing left field and putting up three RBI. Lauren Quense would relieve Gillen and pitch two scoreless innings of no hit ball, as the Rams stood perfect on the season, defeating Chattanooga 12-3 in five innings.
“We were happy the way we came out jumping ahead early,” said head coach Bridget Orchard. “We started off on the right foot and continued the rest of the day.”
Due to bad weather, the Rams’ two games on Saturday, Feb. 8, against the University of Kansas and the University of South Dakota were canceled, but they were able to play the host team UCF Knights Sunday afternoon. This game was much closer than the other two but handed the Rams their first loss of the season. The Rams once again scored in the first inning, this time on an RBI single by Luety off UCF starter Jamie Ujvari. The game was scoreless until the bottom of the fourth inning. Daubman did not allow a hit through the first three innings, but an error allowed the Knights to get their first runner on base. A steal and two singles allowed the Knights to score two runs in the inning and put them up by one. UCF reliever Mackenzie Audas came in to relieve Ujvari after the second inning, and held the Rams to four hits and no runs. Audas earned the victory while Daubman picked up the loss, despite pitching well and only giving up two unearned runs on two hits.
Despite the loss, Orchard said, “It was a good trip overall. A little speed bump, obviously we’d like to come away with the win, but it was a tough team. I think we battled and we played hard, which you want to see out of the girls.”
As for repeating as Atlantic 10 Champions, Orchard is extremely confident in her players.
“I definitely think that the way we played this last weekend and how we’ve been practicing in the winter, I think we’re gonna be very tough to beat,” Orchard said.
The Rams’ next games will be in Charleston, S.C. at the College of Charleston Classic this weekend, Feb. 14-16. Their first game is against the University of Mississippi at 9 a.m. on Valentine’s Day.
