Softball Finishes Regular Season This Weekend at George Mason

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BRONX, N.Y. -- The Fordham softball team (29-18, 14-5 A10) concludes the regular season this weekend when they travel to Fairfax, Va. to take on fourth-place George Mason (21-24, 11-9 A10) in a three-game series beginning Saturday with a doubleheader at 12 p.m., before playing the series and regular season finale Sunday at 1 p.m.

The Rams currently sit in third place, one-half game out behind second-place Saint Louis, who plays a three-game series at Massachusetts, who is tied for the final tournament spot with Saint Joseph's. The up-to-date Atlantic 10 standings:
 

	A-10	Overall
Dayton	17 - 2	34 - 12
Saint Louis	15 - 5	33 - 16
Fordham	14 - 5	29 - 18
George Mason	11 - 9	21 - 24
La Salle	9 - 8	13 - 17
Saint Joseph's	8 - 11	23 - 18
Massachusetts	8 - 11	15 - 25
St. Bonaventure	7 - 11	15 - 22
George Washington	4 - 14	22 - 23
Rhode Island	1 - 18	3 - 38

Last Time Out
The Rams concluded the home portion of their schedule Wednesday with an 8-0 five-inning victory over St. John's at Bahoshy Field. Senior Kayla Lombardo produced all the runs Fordham would need with a towering opposite field three-run homer over the right field fence in the bottom of the first, as sophomores Amy Van Hoven and Lindsay Mayer came around to score for a 3-0 lead.

Van Hoven increased the advantage to 4-0 in the bottom of the second with a RBI single that plated senior Brianna Turgeon. One inning later, senior Michele Daubman scored on a wild pitch, and freshman Madison Shaw roped a RBI single to second base that drove home junior Cailin Winokur for a 6-0 lead. Lombardo came through with another run-scoring hit in the bottom of the fourth when she looped a single into right field to score sophomore Sydney Canessa, before senior Paige Ortiz capped the scoring with a RBI single that plated Mayer.

Daubman (8-8) continued her strong pitching of late with a complete-game shutout to move back to .500 on the season while collecting her fourth complete game and second shutout. She allowed just three hits, walked one and fanned one in her final appearance in the circle at Bahoshy Field. The offense pounded out 12 hits, with Lombardo finishing a perfect 3-for-3 with four RBI and her sixth home run in her final home game. Canessa also finished 3-for-3 and Shaw 2-for-2, while Mayer scored twice.

George Mason
2015 Season: 21-24 (11-9 A10)
When: Saturday, May 2 - 12 p.m. & 2 p.m.; Sunday May 3 - 1 p.m.
Where: Fairfax, Va. (George Mason Softball Complex)
Series History: Tied 3-3 (since 1995)
Last Meeting: April 5, 2014 -George Mason 3 Fordham 2; Fordham 7 George Mason 3 (in Bronx, N.Y.)
What You Need To Know: The Patriots currently sit in fourth place and are in a situation where they need to win at least one game to assure themselves of a spot in next week's conference tournament. They enter this weekend having won their last two in a doubleheader sweep of Norfolk State, but Mason did lose two of three at home last weekend to fifth-place La Salle. The offense is hitting a very solid .280, averages 4.8 runs per game, and has stolen 47-of-59 bases. Brooke Blankenship is slashing .383/.425/.651 with a team bests of 57 hits, 10 doubles, eight home runs, 42 RBI and 17 stolen bases (out of 17) to go along with the second-most runs at 37. Liz Seymour slashes .383/.422/.600 with team highs of 42 runs and five triples while collecting 53 hits, nine doubles, five home runs, 32 RBI and four stolen bases. In the circle, the Patriots are not very good, sporting a 5.06 ERA over 302.1 innings with 334 hits, 131 walks and 149 strikeouts. Mason goes with a three-man rotation of Christina Gabriele (9-10, 4.83 ERA, 16 GS, 119.1 IP, 116 H, 56 BB, 62 SO), Casey Herring (8-8, 4.91 ERA, 14 GS, 91.2 IP, 111 H, 31 BB, 41 SO) and Sarah Kleinfelter (4-5, 4.91 ERA, 14 GS, 88.0 IP, 93 H, 44 BB, 32 SO).

Up Next
The Rams head to Amherst, Mass. next week to participate in the Atlantic 10 Tournament, which begins Wednesday, May 6 and runs through Saturday, May 9. After this weekend, Fordham will know its opponent and when its opening game will take place.