April 18, 2010
Box Score
PHILADELPHIA - Senior pitcher Gina Massaro hurled a complete game with just one earned run and smacked a home run to lead the Explorers against Fordham on Sunday, but the Rams took both ends of the doubleheader, 5-3 in nine innings and 10-2. The Explorers fall to 11-21 (2-10 Atlantic 10), while the Rams moved to 36-8 (10-2 Atlantic 10).
Massaro struck out nine and walked none in her ninth complete game outing of the season. Only one of the Rams' five runs was earned, lowering Massaro's season ERA to 2.23. She also moved into the team lead in batting average after going 2-for-5 on the day to improve her average to .370.
After yielding three runs (one earned) in the top of the first inning, Massaro led off the Explorer first with a home run down the left field line. The ball smacked off of the foul pole and bounced back on to the field, but it was ruled a home run as it hit the pole above the fence line.
The score remained at 3-1 until the seventh inning, thanks to spectacular pitching on both sides. Massaro scattered just four hits between the second and fourth innings and kept the Rams hitless from the fifth until the ninth. Ram pitcher and National Player of the Year finalist Jen Mineau retired 18 straight following Massaro's leadoff home run, including 12 straight strikeouts.
The Explorers broke through in the top of the seventh when Ali Shepherd led off with a single to left field. Mary Pat Conville followed up with a double down the right field line, advancing Shepherd to third. One out later, Erica Vile came up huge and blasted a two-run double to left field to tie up the ballgame.
Neither team generated anything in the eighth inning. The Rams scored two unearned runs in the ninth for the final 5-3 score.
Massaro suffered the loss, going all nine and giving up just the one earned run on nine hits, struck out nine and walked none. Mineau earned the win for the Rams, also pitching a complete game. She gave up three runs, all earned, on four hits, struck out 22 and walked none.
The Rams struck first in the nightcap as Beckah Wiggins homered in two runs. They added two more to take a 4-0 lead in the third on a Samantha Pellechio two-run home run.
The Explorers cut the deficit in half to 4-2 in the sixth inning when Angelina Bisbiglia blasted a two-run home run to center field, her team-leading fourth of the season.
The Rams answered back with six runs in the top of the seventh to put the game out of reach. Five of those runs were scored between two home runs when Pellechio and Dearborn hit their second home runs of the day.
Laura Beth McCreesh took the loss, going three full innings. She gave up four runs, two earned, on six hits and struck out two. DJ Guinn pitched four innings of relief, giving up six runs on seven hits, striking out five and walking one. Chelsea Plimpton earned the win for the Rams, going all seven innings and giving up two runs on four hits, striking out six and walking one.
The Explorers return to action on Tuesday (4/20) when they host Marist in a non-conference doubleheader beginning at 2:30 PM.
