Torres Delivers Walk-Off Win for Rhody

Rhode Island Starters
Hernandez (CF), Bulinski (C), Knarr (1B), Sterner (DP), Orndorff (LF), Power (3B), Miller (2B), Torres (SS), Jones (RF), Vale-Cruz (P)

Fordham Starters
Nogay (CF), Wells (C), Sudall (DP), Koratsis (1B), McGuire (SS), Hoppe (2B), McClellan (RF), Clark (3B), Swan (LF), Beeman (P)

How it Happened
Julianne Torres laced a two-out single just inside the first base bag and down the right field line to drive in pinch runner Brooke Gerry with the winning run as Rhode Island beat Fordham 3-2 in walk-off fashion Saturday.

Rhody (14-33, 7-16 Atlantic 10) rallied for the win in the opener of Saturday's doubleheader. Trailing 2-0 in the bottom of the sixth, URI got the tying runs into scoring position with two outs. A Kylie Bulinski single started the rally, and Katie Knarr drew a walk. Noelle Sterner dropped a sacrifice bunt down to move pinch runners Mandi Hanewich and Ella Morris into scoring position.

After a groundout kept both runners stationary, Emily Power reached on an error by third baseman Allie Clark. Hanewich scored to make it 2-1, and Morris moved up to third. Casey Miller followed with another grounder to third, reaching when Clark's throw to first was off target, bringing Morris in to tie the game.

With Avery Vale-Cruz dominating the Fordham lineup – she did not allow a hit after the third inning – Rhody was able to get the walk-off win in the bottom of the eighth. Sterner was hit by a pitch to start the inning. Sydney Orndorff sacrificed Gerry to second, and a Power single moved Gerry to third. After a groundout failed to bring Gerry in, Torres went the opposite way with the first pitch she saw, shooting the ball down the line to drive in Gerry.

Inside the Box Score

Sophomore Avery Vale-Cruz (6-5) pitched her fifth complete game in her last six starts and lowered her earned run average to 3.20.
Over her last seven appearances Vale-Cruz is 4-1 with one save, a 1.08 ERA, 34 strikeouts and nine walks over 39.0 innings of work.
Junior Kylie Bulinski was 3-for-3 with a walk in four plate appearances.
Freshman Julianne Torres singled twice and had URI's lone RBI.
Senior Emily Power doubled and singled.
All three Rhode Island runs were scored by pinch runners, as junior Mandi Hanewich, freshman Ella Morris and freshman Brooke Gerry did the honors.
Fordham had a single and a triple in the top of the third. Those were the only hits allowed by Avery Vale-Cruz.
Rhode Island improved to 3-2 in extra-inning games.