WASHINGTON— It took 12 innings and five hours and 25 minutes, for Fordham to eke out a 1-0 over Dayton in a marathon pitchers’ duel Saturday. The game was the semifinal of the consolation bracket in the 2016 Atlantic 10 Softball Championship at George Washington’s Mount Vernon Athletic Complex.
Fordham (36-19) the A-10 regular season champion, will play No. 3 UMass at 9:00 am Sunday in the consolation bracket final. The winner will play No. 5 Saint Joseph’s in the A-10 Championship final at approximately 11:30 am.
The scoreless draw was broken when Morgan Figueroa reached on an error, and then scored from first unearned on a Sydney Canessa double to deep center field.
High winds and driving rain chased both teams off the field in the bottom of the seventh inning with no outs and a Fordham runner on first. The battle in the circle continued after the two hour, 25-minute rain delay, with both pitchers, who went the distance, getting stronger into the 12th inning. Gillen retired 20 straight batters from the sixth to the 12th inning while Cash sent down eight straight late in the game.
Gillen (15-10) got the win allowing four total hits in the 12 scoreless innings. She struck out five batters. Cash (11-10) the 2016 A-10 Pitcher of the Year, took the loss, allowing eight hits, the unearned run and three walks with six strikeouts.
Dayton ends its season at 27-21-1.