photo courtesy of Mark Campbell

Fordham vs. Delaware boxscore
Delaware vs. Howard boxscore

COLLEGE PARK, Md. -- The University of Delaware softball team fell to Fordham, 10-0 in five innings, and to Howard, 5-4, Sunday afternoon on the final day of the Maryland Invitational.

In the Blue Hens’ first game of the day, the Rams opened the scoring with a run in the top of the second inning when Samantha Pellechio drilled a leadoff home run.

Fordham, which improved to 15-8 on the season, extended its lead by scoring three runs in the top of the fourth after Delaware starting pitcher Anne Marie Pagano retired the first two batters of the inning. Jocelyn Dearborn started the rally with a walk, and after she advanced to second on a single by Megan Waldron, Dearborn scored when Beckah Wiggins singled to center. Sarah Campbell then drove home two runs with a single to left, putting the Rams ahead 4-0.

Fordham then scored six runs in the top of the fifth inning to put the game away. Melissa Andrews led off the frame with a triple, and she scored when Lindsey Kay Bright followed with an infield single. Waldron added an RBI double, Wiggins hit a sacrifice fly, and Campbell stroked an RBI single during the Rams’ big inning.

Fordham pitcher Jen Mineau then retired the Blue Hens in order in the bottom of the fifth, ending the game due to the mercy rule. Mineau recorded her second no-hitter of the season, as Delaware’s only baserunners came when Abbie Surosky walked in the first inning and Cecile Egan was hit by a pitch in the third. Mineau improved to 7-4 on the season, while Pagano dropped to 2-3 after allowing nine runs, five earned, on eight hits in four plus innings. Reliever Amanda Stacevicz gave up one earned run on two hits in one inning of work.

Delaware, which is now 2-8 on the season, opened the scoring against the Bison by scoring a run in the top of the first inning. Amanda Nyisztor (above) worked a one-out walk, moved to second on a sacrifice bunt by Quinn Megargel, and scored on a single to left by Michelle Grap.

Howard, which improved to 6-16 on the year, answered with three runs in the bottom of the second to take the lead. Rebecca Kirschner led off with a bunt single, and after Emily Johnson singled to left, the runners moved to second and third on a sacrifice bunt by Trina Kindred. Chris McCoy then doubled down the leftfield line to drive home both runners, and after she advanced to second on a groundout, McCoy scored when Ciera Gordon singled to left.

However the Blue Hens would answer with a pair of runs in the top of the fourth to knot the game at 3-3. Nicole Gregus ignited the rally by working a two-out walk, and a single to center by Surosky put runners on second and third. Nyisztor then doubled down the leftfield line, as both Gregus and Surosky scored to tie the contest.

Delaware regained the lead in the fifth when Kim Ovittore led off with a double to rightfield and scored when Grap followed by doubling to left.

The Bison would answer, as Howard pushed across a pair of runs in the bottom of the fifth. Tierra Maxwell led off with a walk, and she advanced to third when Courtney Young reached on an error by Nyisztor at second base. Nicole Saez then doubled to leftcenter, plating both runners to put the Bison back ahead.

Delaware put two runners on base in the sixth and one in the seventh, but the Blue Hens could not push across the tying run as UD dropped its fifth straight game.

McCoy improved to 1-1 for Howard as she allowed four earned runs on eight hits and struck out two batters. Stacevicz started for the Blue Hens and allowed three earned runs on seven hits in the first 2.1 innings, while Gregus fell to 0-1 after she gave up two runs, one earned, on two hits in two innings of work. Pagano allowed just one hit in 1.2 innings of scoreless relief.

Nyisztor finished 2 for 3 with a pair of RBI, a run scored and a walk to lead the Blue Hen attack. Grap went 2 for 3 with two RBI and a walk, while Ovittore was 2 for 3 with a run scored and a walk.

Delaware returns to action on Wednesday when the Blue Hens host Lehigh in a 2:30 p.m. doubleheader in UD’s home opener.