Softball's Season Ends in Regional Final, 2-1, by NC State

HARRISONBURG, Va. -- The Fordham softball team saw its season end in heart-breaking fashion Sunday at Veterans Memorial Park when second-seeded North Carolina State hit a walk-off home run in the bottom of the seventh to defeat the Rams, 2-1, and win the Harrisonburg Regional. Fordham, who was playing in its second-ever regional final, sees its great season come to an end at 38-20, while the Wolfpack improves to 38-20 and travels to Oregon, the #2 overall national seed, for next weekend's Super Regional.

With the game all tied at 1-1 in the bottom of the seventh, NC State's first batter of the inning, Maggie Hawkins, belted the second pitch to dead center field off Ram starter Rachel Gillen. It was Hawkins third hit and second RBI of the game and second home run off Gillen in the regional.

Gillen produced a 1-0 lead for Fordham in the top of the first when she singled sharply off the glove of Hawkins at first base. Sophomore Amy Van Hoven, who singled earlier in the inning, came around to score when the ball rolled into right field.

The Wolfpack would tie the game in the bottom of the fourth when they took advantage of a lead-off walk to Meredith Burroughs. After Macauley Prickett came in as a pinch runner, she moved to second on a sacrifice bunt, before advancing to third on a comebacker to Gillen in the circle. But the lead-off walk came back to haunt the Rams, as Hawkins delivered a two-out RBI single to left to tie the game at 1-1.

Fordham could never get anything going off NC State starter Emily Weiman, who retired 15 in a row until senior Michele Daubman singled with two outs in the top of the seventh. Weiman (31-15) won her third game of the regional and allowed one unearned run on four hits, walked one and whiffed eight.

Gillen (24-9) was just as good for the Rams in their final game. The southpaw tossed her 20th complete game, allowed two earned runs on five hits, walked two and struck out five.

Sunday's contest marked the final game for Daubman, Kayla Lombardo, Paige Ortiz, Cora Ianiro, Brianna Turgeon and Serena Moroukian.