BRONX, N.Y. – The University of Dayton softball team dropped the first game of a three-game weekend series 5-1 Friday afternoon against the Fordham Rams (17-14, 4-2 A-10) at the Bahoshy Softball Complex.  UD falls to 23-11 on the season and 7-2 in the conference.
 
Dayton matched the Rams in hits with five each, but couldn't match the run total.  Senior Natalie Mariano led the Flyers with a two-hit day, while sophomore Gabrielle Snyder, freshman Kailee Budicin and senior Tiffany Ricks all had one base hit each.
 
The first three innings were scoreless before Fordham blew the game open in the fourth with a three-run homerun from Cora Ianiro, her third of the season.  The Rams got one more later in the inning to make it 4-0.
 
Fordham added one more in the fifth on a UD error.
 
The Flyers loaded the bases with no one out to start the seventh.  Following an infield fly, graduate student Jordan Jennings took a bases loaded walk to get Dayton on the board.  Fordham closed out the inning with two flyouts to hold on for the victory.
 
Senior Kayla English settled with the loss after only giving up two hits and striking out three in three and a third innings of work.  Her record now stands at 11-5 on the season.  Freshman Manda Cash pitched the final two and two-third innings, only giving up three hits and striking out four.
 
UD continues the weekend series tomorrow with a doubleheader against the Rams.  Game one is set to begin at 11 a.m.