Softball Scores 25 in Doubleheader Sweep to Open Conference Play

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Bronx, N.Y. – The Fordham softball team kicked off its Atlantic 10 Championship defense with a doubleheader sweep against Rhode Island at Bahoshy Field on Saturday, with two run-rule victories and a combined 25-0 score. With the wins, the Rams improve to 22-7 overall and 2-0 in league play, while Rhody falls to 2-17 and 0-2.
 
Fordham's offense came to play today, with 25 runs scored and six home runs, three in each contest. After run-ruling the opposing Rams in Kingston, R.I., twice last season, they have matched that already on Saturday. The Rhode Island pitchers struggled with their command, allowing 13 walks, plus 16 hits.
 
Sydney Canessa set the tone for the day, starting at 10 a.m. instead of the previously scheduled noon first pitch due to the weather forecast, with a two-run laser home run into the left field netting in the first inning, scoring Hughes, who had walked and stolen second to lead off the contest. Amy Van Hoven singled and stole second, as well, before Madison Shaw also walked. After Becca Rogers was replaced by Julia Waraksy, the pair pulled off a double steal and the former scored on a Lindsay Mayer RBI single to left. Waraksy threw a wild pitch but catcher Rachel Kuhlman was able to get it to her in time to throw Shaw, who was heading for home. The Rams added a fourth run shortly thereafter on an error by shortstop Jenna Cubello, plating Mayer, who had moved to second on the wild pitch.
 
Fordham added one run in the third on a Lauren Quense solo home run to right center and then busted loose for the remaining six runs in the fourth, two coming via bases loaded walks and then a Mayer grand slam.
 
Quense started the game and picked up her 14^th win of the year, tossing five one-hit innings, allowing the lone knock with no outs in the fifth frame. The senior allowed two walks and struck out two. Mayer was the lone Ram to have a multi-hit game.
 
Fordham's offense again got off to a hot start, scoring five runs in the first inning of game two, four more in the second, one in the third, and four in the fourth for a 14-0 run-rule win. Shaw and Mayer homered in back-to-back at bats in that first frame, Shaw's being a two-run shot. A run scored on a wild pitch and then a groundout in the second before Quense's second dinger of the afternoon to dead center.
 
Madison Aughinbaugh made her first conference start and tossed five shutout innings with five hits allowed, no walks, and five strikeouts, including the final out of the contest looking, to move to 6-3 on the year.
 
For the day, Mayer led the way with two hits and a home run in each game, finishing 4-for-6 with four runs scored, as well. Hughes, Canessa, Van Hoven, and Quense each also tallied at least one hit in each game, all but Hughes notching two in game two.
 
The Battle of the Rams series finale will begin tomorrow afternoon at 1 p.m.