Softball drops doubleheader to Fordham

By Mike McDonald
Collegian Editor
March 28, 2007

Sunday was a tough day for the La Salle softball team, as the squad received its first conference losses of the season by dropping two to Fordham.

At Bahoshy Field in the Bronx, the Explorers faced off with the Fordham Rams for an afternoon doubleheader. La Salle struggled to get much of anything going at the plate, and they lost the games, 3-2 and 9-0.

In game one, the Explorers fell behind early, with the Rams putting up two runs in the bottom of the second. However, the Explorers answered back right away. With two outs and sophomore Alicia De La Rosa on first, sophomore Kelli Curcio went deep to left center field to tie the game. It was Curcio’s second home run of the season, but unfortunately for the Explorers, it was the end of their offense for the day.

Fordham broke the tie very quickly. In the bottom of the third, the Rams combined a triple by Jessica Weckenman and a single by Erin Fisher to produce the go-ahead run. After the third inning, it was all pitching. There was only one hit for either team in the rest of the game, and it came off the bat of La Salle junior Michelle Sullivan in the seventh inning.

Fordham’s Sara Kinney picked up her fifth victory of the season, as she baffled La Salle hitters all game long. Kinney went the distance, surrendering only two runs on four hits. She struck out 13 hitters and walked one. Her mark of 13 strikeouts tied a Fordham record.

For the Explorers, senior Laura DeZolt picked up the loss. She went six innings and gave up three runs on seven hits and four walks. The loss dropped her to 5-4 on the season.

Game two was a five-inning nightmare for La Salle.

Fordham’s Nicole Ayres tossed a three-hit shutout en route to her sixth win of the season. Her pitching performance did not require much offense from her teammates, but they gave it to her anyway.

The Fordham bats struck early and often. The Rams knocked DeZolt out of this one after only an inning and two-thirds. She gave up six runs on eight hits before being pulled for freshman Laura Beth McCreesh.

McCreesh got out of the second and pitched a one, two, three third. But in the fourth inning, she ran into trouble. In the fourth, the Rams scored three runs on three hits to increase their lead to 9-0. This was the final score.

With the losses, the Explorers dropped to 7-9 overall and 2-2 in the Atlantic 10. Fordham improved to 16-12 overall and a perfect 4-0 in the conference.

The Explorers will be back in action this weekend at home against Big Five opponents. Temple comes to visit on Friday and Saturday, and Saint Joseph’s will be on campus for a Sunday doubleheader.

mcdonaldm2@lasalle.edu