Rachel Gillen Named Atlantic 10 Pitcher of the Week

League Release

Newport News, Va. – Fordham softball standout Rachel Gillen returned from a month-long injury layoff this weekend and dazzled in the circle in her first three appearances in over a month, earning Atlantic 10 Pitcher of the Week honors, the league announced on Monday, after finishing out the last regular season contests of her career. The award is Gillen's fourth conference weekly award over her three years in the Bronx and first this season.
 
Gillen spent nearly the entire month of April and some of May watching her team from the dugout due to an injury sustained at Saint Joseph's on April 3 but you wouldn't of known with the way the grad student dominated on the bump against George Mason this weekend. The Wilmington, Del. native made her long-awaited return to the field in Saturday's doubleheader, first making a one-inning relief appearance in game one, notching her first career save with a scoreless inning.
 
Gillen took the ball to start game two, her first start since the injury, and fired a seven inning shutout, allowing just five hits and one walk, while striking out seven. Gillen relieved Lauren Quense in game three, hurling four innings of one-run ball with no walks and six punchouts, to pick up her 14^th victory of the campaign.
 
The grad student finishes the regular season with a 14-9 record, 3.83 ERA in 140.2 innings, and 132 strikeouts, plus the one save. With the impressive start on Saturday, Gillen moves into sole possession of fourth place in three all-time categories: 46 wins, 36 complete games, and 12 shutouts. With her three appearances, Gillen also jumped past Chelsea Plimpton and Jamie Giguere into fifth place with 95.
 
The Rams are the #1 seed in this week's Atlantic 10 Tournament and will play Thursday at noon against either #4 Saint Louis or #5 Saint Joseph's. All contests will be streamed live on the A-10 Digital Network.